IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Switzerland Monday 24 January begins issuing biometric residence permits to foreigners who are from outside the European Union or Efta (European Free Trade Association). Note for holders of residence permits: existing permits remain valid until the expiry date listed on them.

The new biometric residence permits, used with a passport, give the holder free travel without a visa, throughout the Schengen area.

The credit card size documents contain a biometric chip with data that will be stored for five years by the canton that issues it.

Read more: CH: New biometric residence permits ready 24 January

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) issued its first progress report on SuisseID - the first electronic proof of identity at national level - since its official launch on 3 May 2010 in the frame of the third phase of the short-term stabilisation measures.

The report reveals that businesses and institutions have passed an important volume of orders since then; in September 2010 the SECO had already received 110 000 requests for a SuisseID from several big buyers - mainly organisations specialised in electronic commerce, eGovernment and eHealth. Other large-scale projects are planned to be implemented in the next months. The SECO will release a second progress report at the end of the autumn of 2010.

Read more: SuisseID on the right track

IncaMail, the secure e-mail service from Swiss Post, meets the requirements for electronic correspondence with the authorities in accordance with the latest e-Government legislation, and is in the final stages of being approved as a secure delivery platform by the Confederation. From the beginning of 2011, individuals and legal entities will be able to submit documents electronically to courts and federal and cantonal authorities. Swiss Post has revised its Secure-Mail service in recognition of the Confederation’s e-Government campaign. The new IncaMail service, which is available with immediate effect, is easy to use and guarantees maximum confidentiality. Administrative organizations, courts and businesses now all have the opportunity to fully integrate IncaMail and make it available to their employees. With the new launch of IncaMail, Swiss Post is underscoring its electronic core competencies and further expanding its electronic services.

Read more: Swiss Post Meets Authority Requirements With IncaMail

E-Government wird vielfach immer noch als techniklastiges Thema behandelt. Damit E-Government jedoch seine Wirkung erreichen kann, ist es vor allem als Organisationsmodell aufzufassen. Andernfalls wird der Blick für die Modernisierungspotenziale durch Technik verstellt. Ein solches E-Government-bezogenes Organisationskonzept wurde kürzlich für die Schweiz in einem White Paper erstellt, das Vorbildcharakter für Deutschland hat. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie E-Government ebenen- und organisationsübergreifend in föderalen Strukturen entwickelt und implementiert werden kann.

Denn nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern auch in der Schweiz tauchen im Rahmen der Umsetzung der E-Government-Strategie bei einer Vielzahl von Umsetzungsvorhaben immer wieder Fragen zur Organisation der verwaltungsübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit sowie zur Gestaltung vernetzter Vertriebs- und Produktionsstrukturen auf, konkret: “Wie sollen die Modernisierungspostulate der Strategie interpretiert und konkret in der Verwaltungspraxis umgesetzt werden?”

Read more: E-Government für föderale Staaten: Das Beispiel Schweiz