Taltioni, an innovative system that provides electronic self-care services for the population of Finland, has launched its first services to the public. Taltioni is also a database that enables all Finns to store, access and share electronic information related to their health and well-being, which is accessible from different devices and user interfaces.
Read more: First eHealth services now available on Finnish Taltioni system
Users’ feedback initiated the update of the portal when it was pointed out some elements and headings that were similar to each other (eServices/My eServices/Citizen’s account) and would therefore create confusion. The purpose of these changes was to make it easier for the users to find the services they need and eventually make Suomi.fi a more user-friendly portal.
Read more: Improvements in the eServices section of the Suomi.fi portal
Information technology and electronics are becoming entwined with our everyday lives in industry, the service sector, transport, logistics, health care, housing, education, and our leisure time, almost without our noticing it.
The changes are already apparent to consumers in the energy sector, for example: remotely readable meters are rapidly becoming more common, enabling developments such as new pricing models that encourage the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The remote control of machines and devices is experiencing substantial growth and spreading to smaller and smaller appliances. Smart buildings use building automation to control their own functions to an ever greater extent, and remote health care applications are increasing apace with the ageing of the population.
Read more: FI: ICT revolution will have impact on our everyday lives
The strategy called ‘A strategy proposal for the use of ICT in the Public Administration 2012-2020’ is the first of its kind. The vision of the strategy goes up to 2020, while the policy approaches and measures will run until the end of 2015. Its objective is for the central and local governments to better use technology and bring services and information closer to individual users, enterprises and the public administration. By the time the strategy finishes in 2020, services and data will be safely and easily accessible and available in various ways.
'It is excellent to see that we now have a comprehensive compilation of the usage of ICT in both central and local government for the first time. In the public sector, annual expenditure for ICT totals close to EUR 2 billion, so from the viewpoint of society it is well worth putting it to best use', Virkkunen commented.