The global pandemic is far from over, we want to take this opportunity to recognize and applaud the continued heroic efforts by front-line workershealthcare workers, first responders, service workers, and othersaround the world. They put their lives at risk every day to save patients and keep critical operations running.

While much of the recent news regarding has been discouraging, it is important to recognize there is some good news regarding the fight against COVID-19. And given the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference is almost upon us, this is an opportunity to reflect on how Public Health organizations have used technology to battle the greatest health crisis of our time. From the earliest days of the outbreak, Microsoft and our global partner ecosystem have used the latest technologies in new and innovative ways to help Public Health officials meet the challenge of COVID-19.

Public Health organizations around the globe continue to face challenges. The Delta variant, vaccine hesitancy, breakthrough infections, continued vaccine and resource shortages all are perpetuating this battle. Still, there have been bright spots, thanks to the tenacity, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment of Public Health professionals and organizationsas well as their use of the latest technology. This has enabled public health to attack the pandemic with unprecedented agility and responsiveness.

From the earliest days of tracking the COVID-19 outbreakslong before a global pandemic was proclaimedPublic Health organizations began to be challenged with collecting increasing amounts of data from hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices as well as laboratories. This was often a cumbersome, lengthy process. It could take weeks or even months before the massive amount of data could be collected and analyzed to unlock meaningful insights. Technologies such as Azure Data Lake and Azure Synapse helped accelerate and scale data collection and analysis around the world.

Partners like Esri were leveraging their Azure supported ArcGIS Online system to help Public Health officials monitor the spread of the COVID-19 virus by visualizing that data on global maps and dashboards.

When accurate tests were created to detect the virus, many Public Health organizations turned to solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform to help them quickly roll out COVID-19 testing in their communities. This included registration systems to schedule the tests as well as test-result reporting.

As the disease spread, people turned to their Public Health organization for answers. This overwhelmed phone systems and took valuable human capital to address these questions at scale. Virtual assistants using Microsoft Azure Health Bot service played a vital role in reducing the burden on Public Health personnel, allowing them to focus on other aspects of the pandemic.

We all remember that early in the pandemic, ventilators, PPE, and other critical supplies were in short supply. Hospitals and clinics were experiencing a dire shortage of resources, while others were sitting on surpluses. Microsoft worked with public health, hospital networks and others to quickly create the Hospital Emergency Response solution, a Power Platform solution for healthcare emergency response. It allowed visibility into inventories across different care networks. As a result, public health was able to get supplies to the points of greatest need.

As early as last year, while pharmaceutical companies sent newly developed COVID-19 vaccines through clinical trials, Microsoft and our partners are working with Public Health officials to accelerate the pace of vaccine distribution and vaccinations with technology. This included taking steps to ensure distribution from the pharma manufacturing facilities to the vaccination sites.

Vaccine supply chain was just one aspect of this unprecedented global challenge. Prioritizing and scheduling initial appointmentsalong with the appropriate follow-ups and reminder communicationswas a critical need. Then there was integration with existing immunization information systems to update patients' vaccination records. Microsoft Consulting Services and Microsoft industry and product teams jumped into action to work with an ecosystem of partners around the world including Accenture, EY, Quisitive and their MazikCare Platform, and many others to deliver solutions to quickly and efficiently distribute and administer vaccines to every community.

Vaccine supply is still a challenge in many parts of the world. Even in areas where supply is sufficient, pockets of vaccine hesitancy have started to stall vaccination rates. To help address this major issue, a coalition of non-profits, healthcare organizations, and technology providers, working in collaboration with local communities and Public Health agencies, have embarked on the Vaccination Equity Initiative (VEI). The goal of VEI is to deliver vaccinations and other essential health services to those who are underserved, vulnerable, or have low access to healthcare. Further information about VEI, including how organizations can participate, may be obtained by contacting VEI@Microsoft.com.

One example of how technology can help address vaccine hesitancy comes from our partner Zencity. Zencity is using Azure Cognitive Services to analyze a variety of public data sourcesincluding social sentimentin order to help Public Health officials understand the underlying concerns of their citizens. Using this insight, mayors, Public Health officials and other government leaders can create communication plans and outreach programs to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

As vaccine rates continue to increase globally and laboratory tests are widely available, worldwide efforts to reopen economies and restore international travel have also created an urgent need for secure, verifiable health information. Businesses, entertainment and sports venues, academic institutions and governments worldwide increasingly need a trustworthy way to verify vaccination status or laboratory test results for those returning to onsite activities and public spaces. Individuals who have been vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 want to access and store a free paper or digital copy of their records to easily carry and share, without fear of misplacing an immunization card or disclosing unnecessary information when sharing their results.

To fill this emerging need, in 2020 Microsoft joined in forming VCI, a voluntary coalition of public and private organizations committed to ensuring individuals have access to a trustworthy and verifiable copy of their COVID-19 vaccination records and test results. The VCI-developed SMART Health Cards framework is being used worldwide to create vaccine certificates that adhere to core principles, including interoperability, equity, privacy, and security.

While there is still a long way to go in the global fight against COVID-19, the new wave of cloud technology will play a significant role in defeating this crisis.

It will also help us prepare for the next one. Because this is not the last global virus we will see.

Governing "A Powerful Tool for Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy", May 19, 2021.

The post How technology is helping in the fight against the pandemic appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs.

This is the second in a series of three blog posts related to Crisis Response. Read the first blog in the series by Daniel Sumner.

For many governments, the world changed on March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. While several had been planning and preparing months in advance to address the virus and its cascading effects, many governments were unfortunately caught off guard by its rapid spread and were left scrambling to find ways to keep the numerous varied aspects of government from completely shutting down.

Fighting the pandemic and its fallout have been incremental challenges on top of government's responsibility to provide "everyday services" such as providing social benefits and support to citizens with existing needs, delivering the mail, and issuing business or building permitsall of which help keep the economy from collapsing. Additionally, governments are experiencing historic levels of applications for social service benefits from citizens affected by the economic fallout of the pandemic. Governments need to address this unique combination of challenges, and do it while maintaining social distancing and following other COVID-19 safety protocols, which in many cases meant government offices being shut indefinitely.

However, several months into the pandemic there is cause for hope. While the virus continues to ebb and flow at different rates around the world, most governments are getting a good grip on the situation as they adjust to "the new normal." Thanks in large part to the use of technology, many governments are now able to maintain vital services that citizens depend on day to day, while they were also creating new functions required to address the unprecedented public health, economic, and societal challenges associated with COVID-19.

Of course, the technology industry has not been sitting still in the face of this global crisis. Microsoft has been investing heavily to increase the scale and security of technology offerings. Those of us on Microsoft's Government Industry Team are leveraging technology applications from other industries to help governments address their current set of challenges.

One example is a new offer just launched in July to help the retail industry combat fraud: the new Dynamics Fraud Protection offering was originally developed for retail, using sophisticated AI and Machine Learning technology to prevent fraud. Governments are unfortunately experiencing historic levels of social benefit fraud, which has coincided with the historic increase of social benefit applications mentioned earlier. Governments are beginning to adopt the Account Protection module from this new Dynamics service to prevent fraudulent accounts from being created, effectively preventing fraudulent benefit payments.

Another example comes from leveraging a healthcare use case: telemedicine and televisits. Governments face the challenge of maintaining continuity of care for their citizen-clients receiving social care and benefits. We are working with partners such as Avanade, Accenture, and others to adapt the Microsoft Teams Virtual Visits functionality originally created for telemedicine in the healthcare industry to meet the specific needs of government social services customers.

Increasingly governments are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Bots and Virtual Assistants to help answer citizen's questions and enable self-service as this blog post from Dana Barnes Microsoft VP of US State & Local Government illustrates.

These are just a few examples of how governments have transformed virtually overnight by implementing innovative and transformative technology solutions that facilitate cross-agency collaboration, enable government employees to remotely access to government systems, and ensure the delivery of trusted and secure services to citizens, business, and other stakeholdersall while ensuring security and compliance requirements.

Here are some additional examples of how governments are using Microsoft technology to run their operations and serve their citizens while responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Remote employee access to government systems:

Traditionally, most government workplaces have required their workers to come into an office and use government-specific applications running on 'enterprise' computers on a government network. When COVID-19 safety protocols dictated that offices around the world must close, many governments turned to Microsoft and its partners to help them enable remote work for their employees without sacrificing security or compliance. These solutions have enabled governments to maintain continuity operations and continue to deliver essential services to citizens and businesses.

The city of Langnau am Albis in Switzerland is using Microsoft 365 to maintain operations for the community and provide secure communication and collaboration. Recently they conducted their first virtual municipal council meeting which took place using Teams.

Likewise, the Lleida City Council in Spain is using virtual desktop technology along with Teams to enable over 1600 employees to work from home and maintain operations across the city.

For years the Gauteng Government in South Africa has taken steps on their digital transformation journey to enable its employees to work from home. However, those plans were accelerated due to the COVID-19 crisis. The adoption of Microsoft 356, and especially Microsoft Teams, has enhanced communication and collaboration across the government's enterprise.

Cross-agency collaboration:

There has never been a more important time for government entities to coordinate and collaborate to ensure an effective response to the pandemic and ensure efficient operations. Microsoft Teams and applications built on Azure and Power Platform delivered by Microsoft partners are enabling new ways of collaboration across government agencies.

For example, Microsoft partner Radix has helped the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (BAID) create an app that matches medical and dental care providers seeking Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the manufactures and associations providing PPE. This app is helping protect frontline health workers across Brazil.

Deliver trusted and secure services:

Governments exist to serve their citizens, and Microsoft technologies are helping ensure essential services are not interrupted during this crisis.

For example, the Cheshire West and Chester Council, United Kingdom is using a Bot to help answer the 500 percent increase in citizen inquiries about topics ranging from coronavirus symptoms and social care to changes with the Council Tax to waste collection, among others. This has freed Council staff to work on other aspects of service delivery.

The Poste Italiane (Italian Postal Service) is partnering with Microsoft to accelerate its digital transformation plans to modernize the Postal Service and speed the nation’s recovery by using AI and Dynamics 365 among other technologies.

In Sao Palo, Brazil, the Bom Prato program from the Secretariat of Social Development of the State of Sao Palo is helping feed 8000 meals to the homeless throughout the city of Sao Palo. This is enabled by an app created on the Power Apps platform and Dynamics 365 used by field agents assisting the homeless.

These are just a few examples of how governments are using Microsoft’s latest technologies to not only respond to this crisis but adapt to the 'new normal' and set themselves up to successfully deal with the next crisiswhich hopefully will not take place anytime soon.

Learn more about Microsoft in Government.

For the latest information, updates, and resources from Microsoft, visit: Responding to COVID-19 together.

The post How governments are delivering essential services while responding to the crisis appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs.

Public health organizations are chartered with ensuring the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Their scope of responsibility is wide-ranging and varies from country to country, and they are required to provide direct healthcare services to their citizens, including epidemiology and disease prevention.

In the area of providing care, public health organizations, along with their commercial health counterparts, face a variety of challenges: a virtual explosion in the amount of collected information; fragmentation of data and formats across providers and care teams; spiraling cost escalation; and a shortage of staff and resources to keep up with the workload caused in large part by an aging population.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2050, 22% of the population will be over the age of 60. The WHO further states that health systems need to be realigned to meet the needs of the aging population and that all countries need an integrated system of long-term care.¹

Public health officials and practitioners continue to assess new technologies to help them transform healthcare services to keep up with these growing demands. Technology, when combined with new and novel approaches, enables public health organizations to drive down costs and improve health outcomes. In-home care is a way to address these challenges, contain costs, and improve the patient's overall well-being and care experience. This is an area undergoing rapid digital transformation as public health organizations adopt modern technologies.

Aspects of home care employing modern technologies include:

• Remote Patient Monitoring helps create and maintain a full picture of a patient's health and well-being by connecting devices in the field and harnessing the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to track wellness and detect, troubleshoot, and resolve patient issues in real-time.
  Example: Care-givers are equipping elderly patient's homes with sensors embedded in the floor and furniture for issues ranging from "slip and fall" detection to signal an alert to the caregiver if the patient has remained in bed for an extended period of time. These sensors, combined with wearable technologies that monitor the patient's vital signs (e.g. heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, etc.), can provide vital information to the patient's care team.
• Mobile Care Worker helps health organizations carry out their extended mission by building a customized mobile care solution based on a health customer's specific needs and priorities to serve residents in their homes. Additionally, IoT and other technologies, along with the care-giver's mobile device can provide oversight to ensure these visits are carried out when and where they are scheduled (in an electronic visit verification scenarioan important compliance aspect of home care for many public health agencies).
  Example: Certain countries have begun empowering postal workers with capabilities to check on remote elderly patients with mobile care solutions to collect information to update health records while out on regularly recurring routes. This helps to maximize existing efficiencies and empower staff to be impactful in new ways.
• Virtual Consult utilizes enablement and configuration within Microsoft Teams to facilitate a telehealth solution that can reduce onboarding time, consolidate communication and collaboration agility, and ease user adoption for an organization.
  Example: Traveling to a patient's home is time-consuming and can be costlyespecially in rural communities where the travel distances can be significant from one patient's home to another. Virtual consultations are becoming a more popular complement toand sometimes replacement ofin-home visits made possible by the video-teleconference capabilities within Microsoft Teams.
  Common scenarios include:
  Checking in on the patient when receiving a non-emergency alert (e.g. elevated blood pressure). Video allows the caregiver to check in on the patient and observe their state in a way that a phone call cannot;
  Behavioral Counseling: video enables the counselor to pick up on non-verbal cues in a way audio-only (e.g. phone call) interactions cannot.
• Healthcare Bot employs an AI-powered service for healthcare that integrates medical content from trusted sources, including details on conditions, symptoms, medications, types of doctors, procedures, and more.
  Example: AI-driven technology can be leveraged to provide automated triage functionality to respond to and interact with patients during a time of crisis. Questions that assess the levels of pain and types of injuries, while recording the information in healthcare standard terminology are invaluable to care teams who will need to follow up with patients based on need and severity.
• Operational Analytics embrace predictive models and innovative technologies to create actionable insights and outputs to better manage individual and population health outcomes.
  Example: Streamlined operations and reduced costs are benefits of analytics models enabling healthcare care executives and clinicians to share information and analyze structured & unstructured data. This empowers them to make more informed choices at the point of decision by utilizing improved KPI's such as medical quality and patient safety.

Public health solutions create experiences that give residents control over their health data and provide insights that facilitate self-care and family support. Technology-driven solutions deepen patient insights to gain a 360-degree view of care metrics and enable a personalized care continuum.

Care teams at different levels within the municipality are able to connect with patients, increase communication and collaborate more efficiently in real-time to address issues from benign single-patient monitoring through pandemic-level crises that necessitate a broader reach and level of interaction. Delivering a connected and personalized customer service experience to empower care teams is an evolving requirement, and Microsoft provides solutions to enable secure, compliant collaboration and faster decisions, as well as help care teams to form, communicate, and do more for their residents.

Visit Microsoft in Health and Microsoft in Public Health and Social Services to learn more. Also, download the IDC white paper on Public Health and Social Services.

References:

¹World Health Organization

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Since Microsoft released Windows 10 earlier this year, users have been implementing it in spades. To date, there have been more than 110 million activations of our new operating system, including 12 million business PCs, and we expect many more to follow with our recent first major update.

For government customers, in particular, Windows 10 includes significant advances that will help employees work far more productively, while protecting government systems from evolving cyber threats. So what exactly does Windows 10 have to offer? Consider the following key benefits:

• Performance.The new Windows is fast. For example, boot time is now nearly 30 percent faster than Windows 7 on the same device. In addition, Windows 10 includes better hardware acceleration and improved power management.

• Efficiency. Windows 10 includes several new features that enable governments to work faster and more productively. For example, the Cortana personal digital assistant helps employees manage their calendars, find files, and obtain quick access to the information they need. In addition, Microsoft Edge, the new browser included with Windows 10, enables government employees to hover over their open tabs and get a preview of what's on those websites without leaving the page they're on. Moreover, Microsoft Edge now syncs employees' favorites and reading list items across devices so they can easily get back to the content they're interested in most.

• Security. Windows 10 was designed to protect our customers from modern threats, and we continue to strengthen our new operating system to make it the most trusted platform ever. The new update offers Credential Guard, which safeguards credentials inside a hardware-based virtualized environment, breaking the popular "pass the hash" used in many major breaches. It also includes Device Guard, which prevents intruders from installing malware, and Windows Hello, which enables governments to log in password-free with enterprise-grade biometrics including fingerprint and facial recognition. Windows 10 also include Windows Defender, a free anti-malware service that protects nearly 300 million devices every day.

• Control. With Windows 10, governments can take full control over how they manage their systems. For example, Mobile Device Management empowers IT administrators to manage the entire family of Windows devices, including PCs, tablets, phones, and the Internet of Things (IoT)both safely and securely. And Azure Active Directory Join enables administrators can maintain one directory, while giving employees one login with which to securely access their Windows settings and data across of their Windows 10 devices.

• Flexibility.Windows Store for Business provides IT a flexible way to find, acquire, manage, and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices both Windows Store apps and custom line-of-business apps. Organizations can choose their preferred distribution method by directly assigning apps, publishing apps to a private store, or connecting with management solutions. Government customers will also benefit from features such as universal apps, which allows the same app to run on every Windows deviceincluding phones, laptops, and PCs.

• Choice. Whether working from the road or at their desks, the Windows 10 device ecosystem gives governments the ultimate choice as to how they work. From small, low-cost tablets perfect for government workers in the field, to sleek 2-in-1s and ultra-thin laptops to large-format devices like the 84-inch Surface Hub, employees can work the way they need toall using the same user interface and running the same apps. And importantly, all of these devices can be secured with the same familiar tools governments have used to manage and secure their desktop environments.

Performance, efficiency, security, control, flexibility, and choice six great reasons why government customers should upgrade to Windows 10. As Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group, put it, "We would encourage everyone to upgrade because Windows 10 is the best Windows ever." If you work for a government agency, maybe it's time you take a look.

To learn more, please visit our Windows for Business website.

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The reviews are in. Since the release of Windows 10 earlier this year, members of the media have been completing their write-ups, and the verdict is that Microsoft's new operating system has a lot to offer government agencies.

Enhanced security and mobility. Increased productivity. Better ease of use. These are just a few of the benefits that Windows 10 has to offer, according to media reviews. And with many government workers still using older operating systems such as Windows XP and Windows 7, the consensus is that Windows 10 offers a familiar, effective operating system that represents a large technological advance. As CNN Money puts it, ""Are you a Windows 8 user? Still using Windows 7? Either way, you’ll love Windows 10."

Already, millions of users have been implementing Windows 10. To date, there have been more than 110 million activations of our new operating system, including 12 million business PCs.

Enhanced Security

So what exactly does the media have to say about Windows 10? Many government publications are emphasizing the security improvements. For example, Greg Otto of FedScoop points out that Device Guard allows businesses to lock down devices so they only run applications from trusted developers. He also mentions Current Branch for Business, which businesses can use to customize which security updates, fixes, and features are applied, and when. "These enhanced security and quality control features are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's available,'" he writes.

Government Computer News highlights the new Enterprise Data Protection feature that will go into preview in 2016, which enables government employees to use both enterprise and personal data on the same devices, while reducing the likelihood that enterprise data will be compromised. And Ankit Gupta of TWCN Tech News takes note of new security features such as data loss prevention, automatic encryption for government and corporate data, encryption of corporate apps, and built-in multifactor authentication, concluding that such features make Windows 10 "more suitable for the government IT sector."

A "Hugely Exciting" Release

The government publication coverage comes in addition to numerous articles in the mainstream press citing the value of Windows 10. In his review, "Microsoft Gets It Right," for example, Nate Ralph of C/Net writes that, "After living with Windows 10 for months I can say it’s a winner. It’s flexible, adaptable and customizable. And it’s been battle-tested by an army of beta testers for the better part of a year, making it one of the most robust operating system rollouts in recent memory."

The sentiment echoes that of Tom Warren of The Verge, who calls Windows 10 "hugely exciting." "I rarely touch my MacBook Air anymore as I find the combination of some good hardware (like the Dell XPS 13) and Windows 10 is a joy to use," he writes. "I like the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, accepting feedback and ideas from its customers along the way. It feels like the best way to shape Windows into something people enjoy using, rather than something they have to use."

Modern, Yet Familiar and Easy to Use

Perhaps it's the receptiveness to customer feedback that has made Windows 10 the best Windows yet. Blair Hanley Frank of PC World focuses on several features that businesses will find valuable including Windows Hello, which allows users to log on with biometric information such as fingerprints and facial recognition. He also notes the lengths that Microsoft went so that the transition to Windows 10 would be easy for businesses

Others in the media have been focusing on Cortana, the Windows 10 personal digital assistant that helps users find things on their PC, manages their calendars, sets appointment reminders, searches the Internet, and even tells jokes. CNN Money calls Cortana "a search box on steroids." Chris Velazco of Engadget says Cortana is "surprisingly useful, and even a little thrilling." And Kelly Sheridan of Information Week notes that "even in a crowded mall, the assistant understood my inquiries."

Still others in the media are emphasizing Microsoft's new Edge browser as well as Continuum, which allows users to type with their keyboard when they choose or to optimize their screen for touch. For instance, in his article, "With Windows 10, Microsoft Has the Right Stuff," Hiawatha Bray of The Boston Globe calls out the seamless transition of Windows 10 between laptop and tablet mode: "It's hybrid computing done right." He also notes that Edge can launch "almost instantly and serves up web pages fast," saying that when Microsoft adds extensions, "it looks like I'll have a new favorite browser."

Perhaps David Goldman of CNN Money sums up the Windows 10 experience best in his article, "Windows 10 Is Seriously Great." He writes, "Windows 10 is everything a PC operating system should be: familiar, beautiful, easy to use and helpful in unexpected ways."

If your government organization is considering a move to Windows 10, now's the time to start planning your migration. To learn more about what Windows 10 has to offer, please see our blog post, "Windows 10: A New Operating System for Government IT."

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