North Carolina Selects Accenture and Yahoo! to Deploy Internet Portal, Positioning State as a Lender in eGovernment

Project Represents Latest in a Series of eGovernment Portal Contracts Awarded to Accenture

Raleigh, North Carolina, June 8, 2000 -- North Carolina has selected Accenture to deploy "North Carolina @ Your Service," an Internet portal giving citizens, businesses, state employees and others fast, simple access to the state’s services and information, and a direct gateway to the Worldwide Web.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with the Accenture team to better serve our citizens on this path-breaking initiative. The goal of ’North Carolina @ Your Service’ has always been to use technology to place state government at the service of its citizens and Accenture has the tools to help us do just that," said Rick Carlisle, North Carolina State Commerce Secretary. "Partnering with such a well-known and well-respected company, like Accenture will help North Carolina cement our commitment to using information technology to help its citizens."

Richard C. Webb, North Carolina’s Chief Information Officer, added: "We are truly pleased about working with the Accenture team to construct this leading-edge approach to eGoverning, which is bringing premier eCommerce, communications and infrastructure organizations together to form a unique, unparalleled team. Not only will the portal help us expand the level of government services we provide to citizens, it also will establish the infrastructure that is necessary to continue to attract and retain companies that are creating the wealth in today’s economy."

The Accenture team supporting this initiative includes Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company, and BellSouth, a $25 billion communications services company headquartered in Atlanta.

"North Carolina’s Internet initiative is among the most ambitious efforts of its kind to date in the United States," said Robert Berton, Accenture managing partner responsible for Government services in North Carolina. "North Carolina @ Your Service also illustrates how the Internet can be leveraged to allow government to break down the barriers between government agencies, giving citizens seamless access to services with little thought to the specific agency that might deliver the desired service."

Yahoo! will provide its Corporate Yahoo! Solution as the platform for the site, allowing North Carolina to integrate its government content and services with Yahoo!’s Internet content and services. As a result, businesses, citizens and state employees will be able to access information and services including online government services, customized applications, e-mail, personal calendar and stock quote services from one personalized start page, based on the My Yahoo! interface (http://my.yahoo.com). The Corporate Yahoo! Solution utilizes TIBCO Active Portal technology from TIBCO Software.

"We are pleased to deliver our Corporate Yahoo! Solution to North Carolina to enable the state to integrate its content and applications with Yahoo! Content and services over our scalable platform," said John Willcutts, vice president, enterprise services, Yahoo!.

BellSouth Communications, which has played a significant role in developing the plan to help the state close the digital divide with telecommunications technology, will host the site. "We are excited about this opportunity to help all North Carolinians reap the benefits of today’s advanced communications technology," said Krista Tilman, president of BellSouth -- North Carolina operations.

The initial portal will run on Microsoft Windows DNA technology.

The contract is the most recent government portal project to be awarded to the Accenture Global Government practice in the past three months, as governments transform themselves to support and become players in the new economy. Other deals have been signed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Broward County, Fla., Clerk of Courts; Texas Workforce Commission; and Wyoming. This portal is expected to reduce bureaucratic barriers, increase efficiency and provide added convenience by making state government resources available in a user-friendly, eGovernment environment.

"North Carolina and the portal projects in Florida, Texas and Wyoming demonstrate a trend of things to come, as other government organizations, ranging from the U.S. Department of Defense and General Services Administration and others increasingly seek counsel as they consider their eFutures," said Stephen J. Rohleder, Accenture USA managing partner for the USA Government practice. "They have witnessed the successes of Ireland and Singapore, as these countries become magnets for high tech companies in today’s world, and other governments want to be considered in the same set."

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Barbara Hohbach

+1 (703) 947 1838

barbara.d.hohbach@accenture.com