July 13, 2009

Microsoft and ESRI Launch Fusion Core Solution

Provides Integrated Capabilities for Intelligence and Fusion Centers

Redlands, California—Microsoft Corp. and ESRI launched Fusion Core Solution, a public safety and homeland security solution architecture, at the ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California. Formerly referred to as FusionX, Fusion Core Solution was designed by the two industry leaders to help public safety and homeland security professionals more effectively prevent today's evolving physical and virtual security threats. In addition, the solution strengthens the ability of government agencies to prepare, assess, and respond to natural disasters.

"Agencies need the ability to efficiently collect, manage and disseminate vital intelligence from multiple sources to counter future threats and criminal activities," said Joe Rozek, Executive Director of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for Microsoft’s U.S. Public Sector business. "This technical architecture helps organizations at all levels collaborate, so the right people have the right information at the right place and time."

"Fusion Core Solution fully integrates GIS into public safety and homeland security workflows," said Paul Christin, homeland security specialist, ESRI. "This opens up the benefits of GIS throughout the organization. People can better collaborate and share knowledge for improved threat identification and vulnerability assessments."

The Fusion Core Solution capabilities include

• Managed Intake—Preloaded and fully customizable forms for processing, assigning, and satisfying many different types of intelligence and information service requests
• Enterprise Search—Provides tools to search across multiple data sources including file shares, Web sites, and databases
• Robust Geodatabases—The ability to easily capture, maintain, and disseminate spatial data using the ArcGIS geodatabase
• Integrated Analytics—Powerful search and preconfigured geospatial analysis capabilities that are extendable to integrate new or existing applications
• Analyst Collaboration—Integrated capabilities to enable analyst and customer collaboration using Web sites, wikis, and blogs
• Robust Security—Can be integrated with existing authentication and auditing systems or can provide these capabilities out of the box
• Tools for Managing Operations—Powerful management reporting capabilities for managing analyst staffing and monitoring center activities

Fusion Core Solution combines the robust capabilities of ESRI's ArcGIS Server Advanced Enterprise and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. The solution can be implemented by both users of SharePoint and ArcGIS Server as well as new users. Current users of SharePoint and ArcGIS Server will be able to download the Fusion Core Solution Custom Code and build the solution with internal staff or choose to work with a system integrator.

Public sector organizations that used initial components of Fusion Core Solution include the Massachusetts Commonwealth Fusion Center. The agency relies on the combination of SharePoint and ArcGIS for content management, spatial analytics, and information sharing functions that are vital to its law enforcement and counterterrorism mission. For more information about Fusion Core Solution, visit www.microsoft.com/fusion or e-mail fusion@microsoft.com.

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Press Information:
Jesse Theodore, ESRI
Tel.: 909-793-2853, extension 1-1419
E-mail (press only): press@esri.com
General Information: info@esri.com