Councils opt for object technology

Local government will be the first target of the Micro-soft/ICL alliance this week, with the two companies launching an object-oriented suite of software for councils. The so-called citizen-focused suite will be based on Microsoft technologies, such as the common object model (Com) framework. Object techniques are expected to take off in local government because local authorities are faced with a wave of reorganisations in order to deliver more efficient services to the public. Object technology helps organisations to restructure more efficiently by allowing software code to be re-used. But embracing Com takes ICL a step away from its own object architecture, Dais, which is based on the rival Corba standard. The Microsoft/ICL alliance signed last month involves Microsoft retraining thousands of ICL staff in Micro-soft products. Ovum analyst Neil Ward-Dutton said: ?An emphasis on Com would confirm ICL?s push into services and away from software. Com?s as yet unconvincing support for non-Windows platform could herald a push by ICL to bring the local government market over to Windows NT,? he added.