Microsoft says its collaboration with California-based geospatial intelligence technologies developer ESRI is part of an effort to offer the homeland security market software-based solutions for counter-terrorism and emergency response applications.

The companies are expected to combine ESRI's ArcGIS Server Advanced Enterprise technologies with Microsoft's Office SharePoint Server 2007. Officials say the joint effort will offer strategic mapping solutions to emergency fusion centers that help identify patterns and trends to help counter terrorism and crime.

"Our police forces, sheriff departments and fusion center managers are increasingly relying on collaboration tools that help them connect the dots in a world of asymmetrical threats," Gail Thomas-Flynn, Microsoft general manager of state and local government, said in a statement.