Microsoft bolsters project governance suite

UMT purchase brings firm portfolio management software and services

Microsoft beefed up its project management capabilities last week, shelling out an undisclosed sum to acquire privately held portfolio management software and services specialist UMT.

The IT giant said the project portfolio governance suite acquired from UMT would add server based capabilities to the next version of its own project management suite, Microsoft Office Project "12", giving customers enhanced visibility over project status and performance. UMT's software tracks, optimizes, and provides a dashboard overview of firms' project portfolios, including information on resources, costs and schedules.

The two project management suites are already tightly integrated, according to a Microsoft spokesperson. "The integration between Microsoft Office Project and the UMT Portfolio Manager software suite through the connector, UMT Microsoft Project Server Gateway, currently exists today," she explained. " UMT’s software is based on Microsoft technology and as such already has numerous points of integration with Microsoft programs."

Chief executive at UMT, Gil Makleff, said in a statement that the technology would help Microsoft customers keep better track on how business and IT projects are performing allowing them "to put tighter reins on their spending, [and] make smarter and more consistent investments".

Microsoft, meanwhile, revealed Office Project "12" will also include new web capabilities so project teams can access information through a web interface and enhanced workflow functionality to better support larger project deployments. It also detailed enhanced graphical capabilities that will be included in the next version of its Visio diagramming suite. Both Project "12" and Visio "12" are expected to be launched in the second half of this year as part of the next version of Office.