Welcome to Issue 5 of Knowledge Society News. We hope this publication will stimulate awareness of the benefits of effectively exploiting technology across all sectors in society. In each issue, we aim to illuminate best practice in the field of 'including everybody in the information society,' as supported by the Riga EU Ministerial Declaration on eInclusion. The newsletter addresses not only the ground-breaking work taking place every day across Ireland, in both the public and the private sector, but also some of the most significant international developments.

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Martin Troy, Editor
martin.troy@taoiseach.gov.ie

The European Commission has launched its call for submissions for the European eGovernment Awards, an initiative that forms a key part of the EU Commission's work to share best practice in eGovernment.

All submissions to the awards will be considered for showcase at the fourth Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2007 in Lisbon in September, and the organisers are particularly keen to see examples from all levels of government, including local, regional and central. Projects entered should be successful examples of ICT-enabled online public services which are in current use.

• Better public services for growth and jobs
• Participation and transparency
• Social impact and cohesion
• Effective and efficient administration

Applications must be received by 11 June 2007 at 15.00 GMT. See more information and online submission guidelines at www.epractice.eu.

The Taoiseach has launched a new initiative aimed at making it easier and more affordable for members of the public to purchase a home computer.

Envisaged as a way to increase Ireland's levels of home computer ownership, the Home Computing Initiative (HCI) will see computer vendors offering three general computer packages to the public, including a basic package aimed at those wanting to perform functions like writing letters or using e-mail; an enhanced package suitable for additional tasks such as downloading music or photo editing; and a top package offering superior PC performance.

All computer industry players may participate in the HCI by adhering to its terms. Vendors taking part in the initiative will display the HCI logo and will commit themselves to clearly explaining the options to potential buyers, and in many cases to offering attractive financing terms that will spread the financial burden of purchase across a three-year period. The initiative can also facilitate group purchase schemes. A number of large employers and at least one credit union are also planning to sign up to offer home computers for purchase to their employees/members through the scheme.

All computers offered through the scheme will offer a three-year warranty and three years of virus protection. The Home Computing Initiative is an industry initiative endorsed by the Government and administered by the HCI Alliance. More information on the scheme is available at www.hciireland.ie.

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is making strides with the development of an online inventory of historic buildings and gardens.

Anyone with an interest in Ireland's architectural heritage can now view details of significant buildings and gardens on the BuildingsofIreland.ie website, which was developed by the NIAH, a section of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The site has been enjoying enormous popularity since launch; over the last year it has attracted 167,000 visitors, generating 3.5 million hits, from architects, local planners and property owners to schoolchildren, tourists and people with genealogical interests.

Users of the site can browse or search for notable structures and view a description and history of each site, along with photographs. The inventory includes everything from castles and cathedrals to thatched houses and even boat sheds. So far, 16 counties have been included in the online catalogue, with plans to bring the rest of the country online in the next five to ten years.

The latest addition to the site is the 'historic gardens and designed landscapes' section, which uses Ordnance Survey maps and aerial photography to offer visitors a glimpse into changes in the Irish countryside over the last 150 years, explains Willie Cumming, senior architect, NIAH. "For each site identified we have an extract from the first edition 6-inch Ordnance Survey map and, at the same scale, the most recent OS aerial photography, so you can compare and contrast the two," he says.

The NIAH also plans to use mapping to develop the site further, Cumming adds, outlining a project to link the site's architectural data to clickable maps, adding a new navigation tool to the site. "Let's say you want to search for places of interest in County Cavan. You'll be able to click on a map of Cavan and scale down to see historic structures in the area; alternatively you could choose to 'map this structure' to locate a building on a map." It is hoped that this project will be up and running by the end of the year.

Public libraries are making the best use of ICT (information and communications technologies) to cater for the evolving needs of users. Several exciting new projects are currently under development, including the provision of Wi-Fi access, the digitisation of newspaper archives and new online services for students.

In March 2007, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche announced grant-aid in excess of EUR700,000 to support the provision of Wi-Fi access for public library users. Each of Ireland's 353 branch libraries have been allocated EUR2,000 to establish wireless broadband infrastructure that will enable library users to access the internet either using their own laptops and PDAs or through library computers.

The Wi-Fi scheme is just one element of the Department's 'Changing Libraries' project -- a multi-faceted ICT initiative announced in October 2005. Another aspect of the project that is currently under way is the development of a digital archive of the Irish Times newspaper. Working with the Library Council, the newspaper hopes to have an online, fully searchable archive -- dating from 1859 to 2004 -- up and running from September this year. The archive will be available for free in libraries and schools for the next ten years.

The Library Council has also been busy developing its AskAboutIreland.ie website, in co-operation with local authorities. The site boasts a wealth of information on Ireland under headings such as Arts & Literature, History & Heritage, and Environment & Geography. Other useful services for library users on the site include access to the BorrowBooks.ie facility, a single point of access and requesting service for all of the library catalogues of Ireland.

In April 2007, Minister Roche launched the site's 'Student Zone', an area where primary schoolchildren can access content that supports the recently updated curricula for history, geography and science. A broad range of content is also available to support secondary school students. "The Student Zone is a treasure trove of information for students and includes photos, maps and interactive games to help make learning fun," says Annette Kelly, assistant director, Library Council.

South Dublin County Council is using developments in ICT to help its 260,000 residents get the information they need faster.

Public requests for information that would previously have been directed to specific departments within the council can now be dealt with by frontline staff: computer access for staff answering the phones means that a wealth of information is at their fingertips. "It's empowering the frontline staff," says Tommy Kavanagh, head of IS for South Dublin County Council.

In addition to improving the amount and speed of information available via telephone, the council has developed its website, www.sdcc.ie, to help residents find answers more efficiently. The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section provides fast access to details on a wide range of topics, such as affordable housing, grants and planning. Site users can also download and fill in forms online, or e-mail a question direct to the council.

The local authority has received several awards for its ICT innovations. The council scooped two gongs at the Irish eGovernment Awards earlier this year, picking up the Local eGovernment Award and the overall Irish eGovernment Award. In addition, the authority was named 'Innovative Organisation of the Year' at the Innovation Through Technology Awards in April.

The council's Connect website has played a key role in this success. The site aims to bring technology to local communities through four initiatives. Connect Web provides training to community groups who wish to develop websites, and over 100 sites have been designed through the project in the past year. The website's Connect Centre provides advice to community groups on how to use technology in community centres, while the Connect Me service provides locals with access to information about local businesses and resources. The latest initiative, Connect School, has seen the council provide laptops to teachers and students in St Aidan's Community School, Brookfield, Tallaght. Under the project, teachers are utilising a virtual learning environment to provide interactive content for students, with the aim of achieving better educational outcomes.

Kavanagh says that through all of its initiatives, the council's primary focus is on its residents' needs, and he advises other local authorities to follow that example. "Think of the customer first. Make things as easy as possible for them."

The Australian Government has proposed a draft framework for the regulation of smartcard projects. The framework will set up "communities of interest" -- agencies, smartcard issuers and other third parties -- that will co-operate on establishing the rules for systems interoperability and for the issuing, acceptance and usage of smartcards in areas such as health, education and social services. Two documents outlining the details of the smartcard framework have been released by AGIMO (the Australian Government Information Management Office) for public comment. "The smartcard framework is a key part of the eGovernment strategy and is part of our blueprint for connected government," said Gary Nairn, Special Minister for State.

The countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) -- Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates -- are in discussions to enable citizens to travel within the GCC states using smartcards. The use of smartcards would speed up the travel process for citizens, allowing them to avoid queues for passport processing at entry and exit points. All of the GCC member states are working on national identity card schemes, and it is understood that the agreed deadline for having such schemes up and running is the end of this year. As well as smoothing the way for travel within the GCC, the smartcards are expected to replace the driving licence, cash-link cards and health cards for citizens.

Mexico City is hosting a major smartcard conference this summer that will bring together industry leaders to discuss "Smartcards for Government and Payment". The two-day conference, held in early May, focuses on two topics -- 'Smartcards for Government and Secure Identification' and 'Financial and Contactless Payments' -- and includes technology exhibits from smartcard manufacturers, suppliers, integrators and payment associations that have deployed successful solutions for governments and financial institutions. The market for smartcards in Asia and Latin America is expected to flourish in coming years.

The UK's Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has launched Fire Gateway, an online portal promoting fire prevention and education. The website, which cost the DCLG STG2.2 million, was developed in association with the Fire Services and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority. The portal provides resources and services for people concerned about fire safety in the home, while premises owners can access information on fire safety compliance, request a visit from their local fire service, or apply for licences to store flammable goods like petrol and fireworks.

The Government of Nepal is devising a five-year eGovernment plan aimed at improving efficiency and transparency. The plan, to be rolled out between 2007 and 2011, aims to create a citizen-centric government, improve communication between citizens and state bodies, and enhance the productivity of civil servants. A number of priority areas have been identified under the plan, including the computerisation of administrative processes, the provision of online services, and the integration of back-end systems.

The Dubai Government in the United Arab Emirates was the sponsor of a recent event promoting a movement 'towards eFamily'. The two-day event was part of the International Women's Cultural Forum and highlighted how technology can be used to enhance welfare and stability in society. Speakers discussed topics such as the promotion of literacy and technology, how to improve communication between the community and government departments, and the development of the eFamily concept. "Enabling families to collectively learn how to take full advantage of this empowering tool [technology] will lead to a highly efficient and participative community," said Salem Al Shair, eServices director, Dubai eGovernment.