Accenture unveils new public sector platform

Accenture announced yesterday the launch of a technology platform meant to help public sector agencies manage a wide array of services. According to Accenture, the Public Service Platform will utilize open-source and commercial components to allow governments to quickly integrate the solution at low cost.

The government platform is preconfigured, which allows agencies to cut between six and eight months of implementation time, the company said. And its modular approach to service-oriented architecture will allow users to integrate the new platform with legacy and external systems already in place. Additionally, the platform will cost less to implement and maintain over time, due to its open standards configuration.

“Accenture’s Public Service Platform, drawing on our Service Oriented Architecture capabilities, is designed to address public agencies’ unique needs,” David McCurley, Accenture’s managing director for global human services, said in a statement. The platform will also allow governments to build and enhance service delivery without being tied to any one vendor’s offerings, Mr. McCurley said.

The Platform’s structure uses technology architecture successfully deployed with hundreds of public and private sector clients, the company said. Among some of the platforms features ready out-of-the-box:

• Portal-based user interface for presenting multiple applications in one place.
• A rules engine makes complex policy elements easy to maintain.
• Business services to support business functionality.
• Service integration for consistent enterprise service delivery using most commercially available or open source Enterprise Service Bus.
• Shared components services support technical requirements.
• Data services for data access for inter-agency and external communications.
• Data storage uses industry standards for application flexibility.
• Security services allow users to sign on once and access only the information they should see.
• Batch and reporting architecture.
• Infrastructure services and administration and operational services.