Geneva showcases biometric e-voting: The state of Geneva demonstrated a biometric-enabled electronic voting system at the recent World Summit on the Information Society, a technology that it claims is a world-first. The biometric and voice recognition technology is designed to enable blind and partially sighted people to participate in e-voting. The application, developed with technology partners HP and WISeKey, has already been used successfully twice this year in elections in Geneva. The system authenticates the user's identity via a secure biometric fingerprint device, which then releases a digital signature. The biometric information is stored on a smart card that is retained by the voter. The application then guides the user through the voting process with an interactive audio commentary and, thanks to voice recognition technology, can process the voter's preferences by matching phonetic pronunciations of simple words. "This experience is also a great model for developing countries where illiterate people could use this technology to vote electronically," said Geneva's Chancellor, Robert Hensler.
UK outlines vision for digital TV: The UK government has issued a policy document outlining its vision for the delivery of e-government services via digital television (DTV). It is estimated that more than 45 percent of UK households now have DTV, and the document, entitled "Digital Television -- a Policy Framework for Accessing E-government Services," advises the government to "make effective use of the medium to give citizens the opportunity to communicate with government at a time and place of their choosing." The Office of the e-Envoy has said the development of e-government via DTV forms part of the government's plan to deliver all services electronically by 2005. The report encourages government at all levels to evaluate the benefits of DTV, and it recommends that government work with broadcasters and Internet service providers to integrate links between e-government and relevant TV programmes. The policy document is available to download on the GovTalk.gov.uk Web site.
Mozambique to build e-government backbone: The government of Mozambique is to construct a Government Electronic Network (GovNet), which will help it to implement new e-government systems. The project, announced at the recent World Summit on the Information Society, is the brainchild of the Development Gateway Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that was established with seed capital from the World Bank. The foundation is collaborating with the Italian government and the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs on the GovNet project. The first stage of the project involves the deployment of a secure intranet for internal communications and a set of Web portals to deliver public services. Some 21 government departments in Maputo will receive 800 workstations. In addition, government staff will receive IT training, education in new process management, and guidelines on how to expand GovNet to new ministries and to the municipalities.
E-government spending set to double in Western Europe: Spending on e-government in Western Europe is likely to reach USD5.8 billion in 2007, up from USD2.9 billion in 2002, according to research house IDC. In a study of 15 countries in Western Europe, titled "European eGovernment Services, Country Benchmarking and Market Forecast, 2002-2007," IDC found that in 2002, 16 percent of all spending on IT services in the public sector went toward e-government. "E-government has definitely become a key component of government modernisation strategies," said Marianne Kolding, director of IDC's European Services research. However, Kolding cautioned that few countries were likely to achieve the eEurope Action Plan objective of having all services on-line by 2005. Among IDC's other findings was that of the 15 countries examined, France is planning to invest the most in e-government services over the five-year period. The study also said that Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal are relatively sophisticated in the services they provide to the public and businesses, but challenges remain in making on-line services accessible to the general public.
Australia launches on-line tenders site: The Australian federal government has announced the launch of AusTender, a Web site that provides access to government tender information for businesses. The secure site allows government agencies to advertise business opportunities on-line, makes tender documents available for downloading, and facilitates the electronic submission of tender responses from potential suppliers. Businesses can also register to receive notification by e-mail whenever tenders of interest to them are posted on the site. "AusTender levels the playing field for small to medium enterprises," said Daryl Williams, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, in a statement. "It allows them to access tender information and pursue business opportunities outside of traditional business hours in a simple, time-efficient manner."
Quelle: Electric News Net, 17.12.2003
