Uzbek Agency for Communication and Information and Microsoft Corp. have signed an agreement on cooperation in information and communication technologies.

Uzbek Agency for Communication and Information (UzACI) held a meeting with a delegation from Microsoft. During the meeting the guests got acquainted with the country’s existing capacity in information and communication technologies, as well as talked about Microsoft\'s plans for further expansion of activities in Uzbekistan in the field of ICT. The Uzbek side confirmed its interest and expressed willingness to develop cooperation for the further implementation of information technology in government, various sectors of the economy and social sphere, including education. The agency specialists noted the importance of organizing joint development and production of software in Uzbekistan.

Following the talks, UzACI and Microsoft Corp. signed an agreement on cooperation in information and communication technologies.

As part of the agreement, the partners agreed to cooperate in areas such as support and promotion of software products in the Uzbek language, built on the basis of Microsoft solutions, implementation of joint initiatives in education, including creation of the Center of Microsoft in Tashkent Information Technologies University, joint ICT development projects in Uzbekistan.

Microsoft delegation also held a workshop in the Museum of the History of Communications about solutions for the ministries and agencies. It was attended by over 50 representatives of government agencies and enterprises of communication and information. As noted by a Tatiana Telegina, Microsoft representative for Central Asia, today we need to rapidly develop and improve cooperation in the field of ICT, develop innovative software solutions for the everyday practice of the government.

Representatives of corporations introduced UzACI professionals to their products and solutions that can help improve inter-agency cooperation between state agencies, told about the role of the government in the development of a civilized software market, Microsoft’s strategy which can simplify the task of managing IT infrastructure, new solutions for government agencies that boost productivity and initiatives for the education.

The seminar also heard speeches by experts in the field of e-government from the company Nextsense, a Microsoft partner. It was emphasized that the introduction of modern management techniques, improving the quality and accessibility of public services is impossible without a corresponding upgrade of information systems of public authorities. (Source: Uzbekistan Today Newspaper)