Microsoft announced the Government Security Program (GSP) in January 2003. It is a no-fee global program tailored to address the specific information technology requirements of governments, and is an extension of the successful Microsoft Shared Source Initiative. Under an extension of this GSP, Microsoft will offer access to the source code for Office 2003. The British government is one of the first to participate in the GSP and gain access to their source code, which its hopes will provide the benefits of "increased transparency and interoperability of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office 2003 products". The release of this source code to key governments is integral to Microsoft's efforts to address data exchange and integration needs of governments throughout the world.