The Citizen Service Platform (CSP) now is available to customers along with free templates to help customers implement technological solutions to some of the most common issues governments face. The CSP application framework, announced by Microsoft Corp. in January 2008, is designed to help governments of all sizes more responsively deliver services to citizens via the Internet, which facilitates easier interaction with citizens, streamlines processes and, as a result, saves time and taxpayer dollars.

The CSP, a culmination of Microsoft’s partnerships, programs and projects conducted with governments over several years, was developed based on challenges faced by diverse government offices and different regions worldwide.

From London to Porto, Portugal, to all the municipalities of Denmark, governments of all sizes are using technology to interact with citizens in a variety of new and innovative ways. Microsoft has developed an applications framework upon which partners can build solutions that address specific government needs, including technical guidance regarding implementation and customization for use by both partners and customers. To date, more than 90 partners have signed up to build solutions on the CSP.