Microsoft replace failing Coronavirus vaccine scheduling tools with new platform

We reported 3 weeks ago that Microsoft’s COVID-19 vaccination scheduling package, which they have been selling to states in the USA, has been failing to deal with the crush of appointments, leading to some states having to apologize and others choosing to go with competing software.

The online appointments that were made available today are now booked.

We know this morning was very frustrating for many people. We are working with Microsoft to understand why heavy traffic caused some eligible individuals to not get through.

— DC Health (@_DCHealth) February 25, 2021

Microsoft has now responded by replacing the earlier tools with a new package which they believe will be more reliable.

The Microsoft Vaccine Management product was released yesterday, replacing their Vaccination Registration and Application System.

The Microsoft Vaccine Management platform “incorporates lessons learned from VRAS regarding scalable architecture, improved user experiences for residents and health care workers,” said Microsoft.

It will also make it easier to export vaccination data to other record systems by using health care standards for information transfer, and addresses issues in the earlier platform, such as having to pre-register before making an appointment and dealing better with spikes in demand.

Microsoft hopes the new platform will fix the embarrassing shortcomings and failures of the earlier VRAS system. Previously Salesforce offered to replace the Microsoft vaccine cloud software for free when their platform buckled under the demand.

via the Seattle Times