ACS, Microsoft team on fire department software package

Affiliated Computer Services Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are joining forces to market a new public safety software package to fire departments on Microsoft's .NET platform.

The two technology companies have formed a strategic alliance to sell ACS' Firehouse Software, a fire department records management system, to customers at all levels of government.

The alliance with Microsoft is "another step in establishing a well-rounded justice and public safety practice," said Tom Burlin, group president of ACS Government Solutions, in a statement announcing the alliance.

ACS' Firehouse Software is a comprehensive system designed to encompass a variety of fire department management needs, including incident reporting, emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue reporting, and staff activity and training. It also helps manage and inventory apparatus and equipment for fire and EMS.

About 10,000 customers use Firehouse software, the company said. The Defense Department uses it for some of its operations abroad; several states also use it.

Dallas-based ACS offers business processing outsourcing and IT solutions to the government and commercial sectors. The company has more than 50,000 employees and annual sales of $4.3 billion. It ranks No. 51 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list of federal prime contractors.