Oracle to help Maharashtra govt. design effective smart city services

MUMBAI, INDIA: Oracle and the Maharashtra Government will create a Center of Excellence (CoE) to help accelerate the state's smart city program and to modernize the government’s IT infra.

The Government of Maharashtra initiated a program in April to develop 10 smart cities, adding to the 33 announced by the central government in the 100 smart cities initiative.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.

“Cloud computing has changed the landscape of governance,” said Devendra Fadnavis. “Together with Oracle, we want to build a new, efficient, transparent and inclusive system that benefits our people. The CoE is a step in that direction and will make more government services available with the click of a button. I look forward to working with Oracle on this important mission.”

“The Cloud Center of Excellence powered by Oracle will play a key role in improving the lives of the people of this state,” said Safra Catz, CEO, Oracle Corporation. “By moving to the Cloud, the Government has the opportunity to create a digitally empowered society and a growing knowledge economy.”

The CoE, housed in Mumbai, will serve as a research platform to design, develop and test new capabilities that will deliver better e-services. The CoE will offer a flexible and scalable common framework, as well as a team of experts, allowing individual cities to scale and replicate its solutions.

Both Oracle and the Government of Maharashtra will invest in IT infrastructure, training and skillset resources as well as management of the CoE.

The proposed projects will be finalized before the end of the calendar year.