The wireless local area network (LAN), an initiative of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in conjunction with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and Siemens Business Services, was launched on Monday by the Communications Minister, Noel Dempsey. The network will be introduced on a phased basis and will initially provide members of the Oireachtas with a high-speed wireless internet access. "The phased approach allows us to validate each step of the system as we roll it out," a spokesperson for Leinster House told ElectricNews.net. "We are not working to a timeline at this stage, we are just concerned with making sure each phase of the system is secure."
Using personal digital assistants (PDAs) or laptops, members of Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann will be able to access the internet and download any information they may require without having to be situated at their desks. Eventually it is hoped that members will be provided with access to all the information they need such as e-mail, the electoral register and various internal databases, according to a Leinster House spokesperson.
Security continues to be the one of the main barriers to the adoption of wireless LANs according to a US-based study carried out by Infonetics Research in November 2004. The network in the Houses of the Oireachtas address security concerns associated with WLANs by making use of digital certificates for authentication and data encryption. Members will be provided with a digital certificate and will need this to be able to access the network.
Autor: Deirdre McArdle
Quelle: ElectricNews, 14.02.2005
