Sharjah, UAE-13 July 2011: IBM (NYSE:IBM) has been selected by theSharjah Directorate of Information and e-Government to implement an electronicgovernment portal.

The new services portal will enableSharjah's citizens, businesses, and government bodies to interact withgovernment agencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The portal will also offerrich informational content to individuals (citizens, expats, and visitors) andbusinesses operating within the emirate of Sharjah regarding the activities,service offerings, and major events of the various Sharjah Government departments.

With the new solution, multiple usercategories including individuals as well as large and small enterprise ownersand Government bodies will be able to benefit from the use of online e-Servicesavailable on the portal. The solution will be built on IBM WebSphere PortalSoftware and IBM pSeries Hardware, as well as IBM storage solutions.

IBM consultants will implement the projectworking with a team from the Sharjah department of Information ande-Government. IBM will draw on the innovative technology and expertise employedin many other e-government implementations both in the Middle East andinternationally.

The programme is part of a growing trend bygovernments to use technology to re-orient their structures to better servecitizens. By consolidating information, providing more effective on-lineresources, governments are improving information sharing and collaborationacross regions for the benefit of both citizens and government.

"The Sharjah leadership recognises theimportance of constant development, especially in the field of technology, inorder to benefit our citizens", said Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Qassimi,Executive Director of Sharjah Directorate of Information and e-Government,"We have always recognised the benefits of drawing on the expertise andinnovation of companies like IBM in order to draw on the latest technology toachieve our goals for growth."

The third largest emirate in the UAE,Sharjah is home to nearly one million people and is also known as the region'scultural capital. The project is part of the government's strategy to enhancethe efficiency and the quality of the services offered to citizens.

"We aim to provide a secure andintegrated electronic information gateway in the Emirate of Sharjah to offere-services to individuals, companies and other governmental agencies."said Engineer Ohoud Ali Shehail, Director of e-Government.

"This project is significant becauseof what it will deliver to the people of Sharjah, simplifying their dealingswith government agencies and increasing overall efficiency," said AmrRefaat, General Manager, IBM, Middle East. "This is among the best use oftechnology, and it underscores IBM's commitment to support the Sharjahgovernment in further realising its vision of a smarter government."

The government of Sharjah joins more than600 organizations worldwide that IBM has worked with to help make the smarterplanet vision a reality.

The agreement was signed in the secondquarter of 2011.

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