EC re-launches open source website: The European Commission has re-launched a website dedicated to promoting best practice in the use of open source software by European public bodies. The Open Source Observatory website is part of the European Commission's Interchange of Data between Administrations (IDA) programme, which promotes electronic data exchange between EU public sector organisations. The site provides regular updates on open source developments in public administrations across Europe. It also provides an introduction to the concept of OSS for those unfamiliar with it, along with case studies on OSS adoption across Europe. "Interoperability and the re-use of existing solutions is a major concern for the IDA programme," said a European Commission spokesperson. "We believe that open standards and licensing agreements that put as little constraint as possible on the use of source code for other partners is the best way to achieve this."
Xansa wins 10-year NHS deal: IT services firm Xansa looks set to win a STG250 million deal to provide finance and accounting services to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Xansa has been named as the "preferred supplier" for the 10-year contract, which will function as a 50:50 joint venture with the IT department of the UK's Department of Health. The venture will provide back-office finance and accounting services to NHS trusts through the department's shared financial services centres in Bristol and Leeds. The market for such services is estimated to be worth up to STG1 billion. However, just 35 NHS organisations out of 663 organisations and Department of Health agencies have signed up for the services so far. Under the deal, staff in the Leeds and Bristol offices will transfer over to Xansa. The venture, which is subject to approval by the board of the Department of Health, will commence in April 2005.
IT helps France reduce civil service staff: France intends to use ICT (information and communications technology) to help cut its civil service wage bill, according to the country's Minister for Civil Service Reform Renaud Dutreil. Headstar's E-Government Bulletin reports that the French government has said it plans to slash up to half a million public service jobs over the next 10 years. Making the announcement at the Worldwide Forum on e-Democracy in Paris, Dutreil said that new technology would help the administration reduce a spiralling public sector wages and pensions bill that is adding to the national debt. The minister said that the rollout of e-services would help the government to maintain efficiency in the face of a plan to limit civil service recruitment. "Around 77,000 civil servants leave every year, and we must limit recruitment to between 30,000 and 40,000," said Dutreil. "How are we to maintain services? The e-economy is one of the keys." In June this year, Dutreil announced that the government was encouraging the implementation of open source software, as part of an effort to cut costs.
South Africa learns from India and Brazil: The government of South Africa is collaborating with India and Brazil to advance its e-government development. Learning from the experience of other emerging nations will help boost an e-government initiative to bring all information and procedures online, according to Public Services Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, reports African newswire AllAfrica.com. Representatives of the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) have already been to India and will soon visit Brazil to conduct research into e-government initiatives and to assess how those countries utilise software. Sita was established to provide and support the government's IT systems, and it is also charged with rolling out e-government. The minister said that collaboration between the countries would help Sita achieve its goal of becoming a world-class operation within five years.
Dubai rolls out SMS info request service: Dubai has launched an SMS "pull" service to provide information requested by citizens and businesses direct to mobile devices. As part of the government's mDubai initiative, users of the service can seek specific information from a range of government departments and agencies by texting their requests to a special number. The Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Development Board have already come on board to offer services ranging from flight information and traffic fine updates to inquiries about government projects. To request specific information, mobile users need to text a keyword and certain information to the number 4488. For example, to obtain flight information, mobile users must text the word 'Fi' followed by the flight number to 4488. "The advantage of the pull service is that the customer gets the requested information and not irrelevant messages," said Salem Al Shair, director of eServices for Dubai eGovernment. Last year, mDubai launched a text message service that enabled government departments to send SMS messages to a database of people who had signed up to receive alerts.
Quelle: ElectricNews.Net, 06.10.2004
