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Doha – Qatar

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has organized a workshop on renewing the Government Enterprise Agreement signed between the Government of Qatar, represented by MOTC, and Microsoft.

The framework agreement, which was renewed for another three years, aims to secure technology needs for government entities in order to further enhance efficiency and advance the digital transformation agenda across all government sectors.

The renewal covers all Microsoft software licenses used in enrolled government entities, including computer and server licenses such as Windows Servers, Exchange Servers, SQL Servers and other licenses and products.

Subscriptions for government entities to the Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing Platform have also been renewed.

“Public-private partnerships contribute to supporting and implementing the vision of the Government of Qatar for the transformation into a smart, digital government,” said Mr. Hassan Jassim Al-Sayed, MOTC’s Assistant Undersecretary of the Government Information Technology Sector.

He added that MOTC “doesn’t look at this agreement as an ordinary contract with a global company, but rather considers it as a real partnership and an active tool for boosting digital transformation across all government entities and for improving the quality of government services provided to all citizens, residents and visitors.”

He noted that Qatar was among the very first countries in the Middle East to have signed framework agreements with Microsoft, realizing the benefits of keeping up with the latest technologies at competitive prices away from price fluctuations worldwide.

The renewed agreement has multiple new features. Government entities will be able to use cloud computing safely particularly in multifactor authentications, as well as the feature that is designed to help classify and protect all files and documents from leakage and theft. Another important feature is the Exchange Online Protection (EOP) that helps keep emails safe. ‘Microsoft Teams’ has been also enabled to provide a chat-based collaboration product for better project management. Its main function is to facilitate teamwork and promote productivity through facilitating chat, project management, and extensive integration.

The renewed agreement also gives government entities access to Exchange servers for emails and SharePoint servers to build online portals, as well as Skype servers for an unlimited number of government entities.