Scotland reveals e-government plans: The Scottish Executive has announced that it intends to spend another STG30 million on its e-government programme over the next two years. The latest round of funding is part of the executive's overall budget of STG95.5 million for the Modernising Government Fund. One of the executive's main priorities is to provide more support for the local authority Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programme, which helps citizens perform tasks such as arranging waste collection, claiming benefits, and organising civil marriages. Another key priority is linking up local authority social work departments with the NHS, in order to develop a secure means of sharing data and to establish an integrated children's services record. Other areas that will receive funding include exploring the potential for a voluntary citizen's entitlement card, which could be used for registration in schools, booking leisure facilities or using library services. Funding will also go towards the development of a land and property management database for Scotland.
eEurope making good progress: report: The European Commission says that the eEurope 2005 Action Plan is making good progress. In its mid-term report on the Action Plan, which was endorsed by EU heads of state and governments at the Seville European Council in 2002, the Commission found that 43 percent of government services are now available on-line across the region. This compares with 17 percent of services that were e-enabled in 2001. The study also says that 40 percent of homes now have Internet access, while the number of high-speed broadband connections has almost doubled in the year to October 2003. "It [the eEurope Action Plan] has started to take root, but this report shows that acting in partnership with Member States we now need to shift up a gear," said Enterprise and Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen. The Commission also noted that in spite of positive signs, more effort needed to be made to share experiences and to tailor e-services to users' needs, rather than focusing on installing new technologies or applications.
Germany trials biometric passport control: Frankfurt airport is trialing a biometric passport control system based on iris scanning. The six-month pilot programme allows passengers travelling through Frankfurt to bypass conventional passport controls, although they must still undergo routine security checks. Users who sign up for the scheme only need to put their passport through a special scanner and glance at a camera, a procedure that only lasts a matter of seconds. To qualify for the trial, travellers must be over 18 years of age, undergo background checks by police, have a machine-readable passport, be a citizen of the EU or Switzerland, and have an iris scan on file. "Biometrics doesn't just make travelling safer, but also simpler," said Otto Schily, the German Minister of the Interior, launching the programme. However, the minister acknowledged that a number of issues still need to be clarified with regard to the use of biometrics, including security, reliability and long-term suitability.
Dubai e-enables self-service library: Dubai municipality has launched a self-service facility in its public libraries. Dubbed 'Self Checkout Service,' the scheme enables library members to borrow and return books without involving library staff. Special equipment linked to a database holding information on library members enables users to take books out and to get printed receipts for returned books. Launching the programme, Mohammed Jassim Al Eraidi, the head of the Public Libraries Section, said the scheme was only one part of the municipality's plans for the rollout of electronic services for public libraries. Dubai is developing an Electronic Library, which the authorities claim will be the first of its kind in the Middle East region. The project will involve the storage and administration of electronic books and periodicals, digital maps, documentary photographs and films, and digital materials on local history.
Quelle: Electric News Net, 25.02.2004
