UK councils progress towards e-gov deadline: A UK government report has praised the "tremendous progress" made by local councils toward meeting the 2005 e-government deadline. The report, "Two years on -- realising the benefits from our investment in e-government," by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) says that the average council is now 79 percent e-enabled, compared to 59 percent a year ago. It also says that 98 percent of local authorities are on track to have all their services online by the end of this year. The study also found that, in more than 100 councils, citizens can already go online to submit planning applications, check their council tax balance and calculate their benefits. The ODPM also hailed the National Projects programme as a success, saying it has produced over 250 products to be used across councils and is projected to yield cost savings of STG320 million. "If local e-government is to make a genuine and sustainable contribution to the improvement of public services, then the next 12 months must see us driving through the benefits of our investment to make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people," noted Local e-Government Minister Phil Hope.
US proposes technology grants to boost security: Proposed US legislation recommends that over USD11 billion in grant funding be given to technology-focused programmes aimed at preventing terrorism and boosting security, according to government research firm Input. One of the key priorities on the homeland security agenda at the moment is to increase the dependency on highly technical solutions to help protect the US against terrorist threats at its borders, seaports, and within mass transportation systems. One House of Representatives bill proposes that USD7.5 billion be spent over the next five years to increase rail and public transportation security. A Senate bill proposes that USD3.5 billion be spent over the next five years on border and port security enhancements and cargo container security upgrades. "Technology vendors should monitor these grant programmes in order to identify new business opportunities at an earlier stage in the contract lifecycle," said Suzy Haleen, manager of grant products at Input.
'Your Europe' aims to smooth cross-border activity: The European Commission has officially launched "Your Europe," an online portal providing information for citizens and businesses throughout the EU. The portal, http://europa.eu.int/youreurope, aims to help enterprises overcome the obstacles presented by conducting business outside their own country, providing guidance on taxation, legal, and corporate issues across the EU. "With this initiative, the Commission makes life easier for enterprises and reduces cross-border administrative burdens," said Commission vice-president Gunter Verheugen. The website will "play an important role in helping businessmen and citizens to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Single Market in terms of jobs, starting up business, and taking advantages of public procurement opportunities," added Single Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy. On the citizen side, advice is provided on topics such as working and studying in other EU states and on consumer and citizens' rights.
Dubai aims to attract students to e-government: The municipal government of Dubai is targeting the student community with its latest e-government initiative. The community outreach programme involves a series of roadshows that are visiting universities and colleges to highlight the targets and achievements of the Dubai eGovernment project. "Today's students will be the leaders of tomorrow, therefore it is imperative that we involve them in the various aspects of e-government," said Mahmood Al Bastaki, acting director, e-services, Dubai eGovernment. "It is extremely important to win the support of the student community by introducing them to the benefits of e-services and familiarising them with our basket of user-friendly e-services." As well as providing the opportunity to learn more about Dubai eGovernment's key services, the roadshows are focusing on three key e-government initiatives: eLearn, an online training portal; eLibrary, a project to bring library resources online; and eJob, a centralised recruitment system for those seeking jobs in the public sector.
T-Systems to supply portal for Thuringia: The German state of Thuringia has awarded a contract to provide an e-government portal to ICT supplier T-Systems, part of the Deutsche Telekom group. The portal will offer e-services for citizens and businesses, while enabling government employees to perform administrative tasks via the internet. T-Systems will provide systems integration services that will enable secure data exchange between various departments, creating efficiency savings for the state government. T-Systems, working with partners PDV Systems, Oracle and other regional companies, plans to have integrated 18 functions for the portal by the end of 2005, with the first of the services to be available from June this year. Among the services planned for the site is the publication of development plans, allowing citizens to collect information online and paving the way for their involvement in the planning process.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 09.03.2005
