The project has been split into six key components: computer services, electronic network, data-base, security, applications and smart cards. The first two phases have been completed, with the second taken up over a five-month period at the start of the year. While specific details regarding the actual investments were not divulged, officials said they ran into tens of millions of dollars.
"Bahrain's vision of e-government is a very powerful one: to get the citizens to access government services from anywhere and at any time in the most secure manner," said Sheikh Ahmed Ateyatalla Al Khalifa, under-secretary of Bahrain's Central Informatics Organisation (CIO), which is overseeing the e-government venture.
"The technology and hardware elements are in place, and we running on schedule and on budget for the project."
Bahrain has reposed a major vote of confidence in Linux by using the open source software as the engine to drive its future on-line services. IBM is providing the support, while its regional partner, Gulf Business Machines, is doing the project implementation.
In fact, the GCC states have recommended incorporating Linux within their own framework, according to Al Khalifa.
"Bahrain's move to go with Linux is partly based on recommendations from the concerned GCC leadership. In fact, we will be hosting a conference of GCC decision makers to show them the environment in which we are running our applications on the software platform," said Al Khalifa.
"This is a solid strategy which CIO has developed to build secure, stable and flexible e-government services in Bahrain. We have worked extensively with teams from IBM and GBM to bring together a workable solution that has been through proof-of-concept testing."
According to Cesare Cardone, chief executive of GBM, "The foundation for the infrastructure includes Linux platforms within IBM eServer zSeries servers as a backend platform; IBM WebSphere as the middleware, application server, e-business and infrastructure software; IBM MQSI as an integration engine; IBM Tivoli as the enterprise management environment; and IBM's DB2 as database platform.
"IBM WebSphere on the IBM eServer pSeries 640 will be used as a testing and development environment."
Quelle: Gulf-News
