UK terror network plan stalled: The UK's Cabinet Office has said that work on a computer network designed to respond to terrorist attacks has been halted indefinitely, according to E-Government Bulletin. The "Hazmod" extranet, originally intended to go live in October 2002, was established with the aim of enabling councils and emergency services to co-ordinate their responses to major disasters and civil emergencies. The Cabinet said work on the project has been stalled due to internal management changes but denied that the scheme had been abandoned. However, some local government planners involved in the project called it a "disaster " and blamed lack of funding and technical problems for the delay in its development.
UK schools may install Webcams: England's Manchester City Council has applied for a government grant to install Webcams in five schools, according to a BBC report. The plan is aimed at highlighting the behaviour of disruptive students, whose parents often refuse to accept that their children misbehave in the classroom. A council spokesperson stressed there were no plans to make the images available to the public and said that Web cameras would be used instead of closed circuit television systems as they are cheaper and less obtrusive. Critics have labelled the proposal a "Big Brother" approach, and some say the cameras may make teachers feel uneasy.
Finland tops IT league table: Finland is the number one country in a global IT league table, according to a new benchmarking report. The World Economic Forum's "Global Information Technology Report 2002-2003 -- Readiness for the Networked World" assessed the performance of 82 countries using criteria including IT usage by citizens and businesses, Internet connectivity and e-government advances. Although Singapore is the leading nation for government IT usage, modernisation of internal processes and delivery of e-services to citizens, Finland topped the poll because of its widespread usage of technology by its businesses and citizens generally. The US was ranked second overall, followed by Singapore, Sweden, Iceland and Canada. The UK came seventh, while Ireland was ranked 21st overall.
Singapore eases e-government access: The Singapore government is planning to introduce a scheme that will allow citizens to access all public services on-line using a single ID and password. Currently each government Web site requires a unique log-in. The new SD5 million (EUR2.6 million) common authentication system, called SingPass (Singapore Personal Access), was developed by the pension fund management body the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board. At the moment, citizens can access around 100 government services on-line, but there are plans to increase this number to 400 by the end of 2004.
Ghana to launch e-gov portal: Ghana's Kofi Sakyi-Armah, the chief director of the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs, has announced that an e-government portal will be launched next month. Speaking at the opening of the Ghana Web Awards, Sakyi-Armah said the portal would allow citizens to file tax returns, purchase customs and passport forms, register births and deaths and renew drivers licences on the Web. Another aspect of the portal will allow government ministries, departments and agencies to interact on-line with their regional or district offices.
Alaska plans ambitious communications project: Alaska is undertaking a five-year USD92 million telecom development scheme that will see the state partnered with private enterprise, reports Government Technology. By the end of the project, 13 Alaskan executive agencies and several other local government participants will have an integrated voice and data system. The scheme proposes to distribute around 20,000 digital phones and to implement a statewide calling plan for public employees to eliminate most long-distance charges. Other plans include the installation of a converged voice, video and data network; enhanced mobile communications and satellite technologies; and enhanced video-conferencing facilities. Alaska Communications System is the state's private-sector partner for the project, and Cisco Systems has been subcontracted to build the IP-based system.
Quelle: electricnews
