The European Commission-funded Avanti (Added Value Access to New Technologies and services on the Internet) project set out to develop new ways to provide easy access to web-based services for people such as the elderly and disabled, or with learning or language difficulties. The goal was to develop intelligent, on-screen characters, or 'avatars', that can talk to citizens and react to their responses in everyday language. The consortium comprises the London Borough of Lewisham, City of Edinburgh Council, Kista Borough in Stockholm, Ventspils City Council in Latvia, and IT supplier Fujitsu, with Microsoft as an associated partner.
What were the objectives of the project?
Avanti identified poor web site design as a major barrier to public access, especially for people with no knowledge of IT, says project director Angus Laidlaw.
'The aim is to include in the information society citizens who think they are not involved,' he said.
The project was given Eur6.1m by the European Commission to develop avatar demonstration systems for each of the four cities involved.
What were the key milestones in the implementation?
The two-year project started in July 2001. Fujitsu and Microsoft spent the first six months developing the avatar character and a toolkit for integration, while the councils created user requirements for the demo systems. The applications were developed over the summer and autumn of 2002. The demonstrators are now in place in the councils.
Avanti is preparing its final report to the Commission, and will be wound-up in July.
What technology was used?
The avatar interface is driven from an Active Server Pages application, with Fujitsu-developed tools for integration, managing conversations and natural language processing. The technology has been migrated to use Microsoft's .Net framework, and can also use BizTalk Server for interfacing to other council systems.
How did you manage the business change and people issues involved?
'We are engaging users in a novel way of accessing internet services,' said Laidlaw.
A cross-section of citizens were selected to test the system, including elderly, disabled, deaf and Vietnamese people for whom English is not their first language.
The avatar can be personalised to users' needs - it can be old or young, male or female, black or white, and use different conversational tones such as relaxed or formal. Access can be via keyboard, mouse, touch screen or voice recognition.
'There has been a very positive approach and enthusiasm across all the cities,' he said.
What results were achieved?
Laidlaw says the project improved knowledge of the barriers to accessing egovernment and gave an understanding of how citizens engage with conversation-based online services. Avanti established design principles and toolkits for avatar-based solutions.
Lewisham created demonstrators to help citizens with housing benefit claims, and conduct public surveys on local issues. Edinburgh's demo helps find out about library services.
What were the lessons learned?
Laidlaw says the most important lesson is that egovernment developers must recognise they have to design systems from the users perspective first, then work back to the systems that deliver it.
'We also had to have an appreciation of cultural differences between the cities. And you must make sure the management of the organisations involved are engaged with the project and know the implications,' he said.
What were the business benefits and return on investment?
'We are contributing to councils' modernisation of services, developing technology for inclusive and user friendly delivery,' said Laidlaw.
He says the cities have been happy with the functionality and performance of the toolkit, and initial feedback from citizens and the councils has been extremely positive. The primary focus of Avanti was not cost savings, but improving access to services for disadvantaged citizens.
How do you plan to build on the project further?
Laidlaw says the consortium members are looking at how other technologies such as biometrics and smartcards could be used to improve the avatar system, and Fujitsu and Microsoft have developed prototypes.
Lewisham is considering how it can take the Avatar demonstrator forward, and what its implications are for the council's internet services strategy.
He says other local government groups are also interested, and the European Commission will continue to disseminate information about Avanti through its egovernment initiatives.
Computing says:
The creation of a digital divide has been a concern for egovernment policy makers that has yet to be fully resolved. Online public services promise to revolutionise our relationship with government - but they can only work if everyone is involved. The Avanti project has created an innovative way to make access to web-based services easier and more natural for citizens that could otherwise be left out of the benefits of the internet society.
Project at a glance
- The Avanti project set out to find way to improve access to online public services for citizens that find it difficult to use the internet, such as the elderly or disabled
- The consortium consists of four European councils, including Lewisham and Edinburgh, working with suppliers Fujitsu and Microsoft
- The European Commission provided Eur 6.1m of funding
- Avanti developed intelligent on-screen characters called avatars that can interact with citizens using natural language to help access online services
- Each city developed demonstration systems to show the potential for avatars
- The two-year project ends in July, and the councils will now look how to use the technology as part of their egovernment strategies
