The CIP ICT Policy Support Programme has been the main financial instrument through which the European Commission has promoted the piloting of cross-border interoperability between public administrations, in support of the rights and freedoms of Europe’s citizens and enterprises. Its next evolution, through the Connecting Europe Facility, will consist of the actual deployment of the piloted projects into a fully-fledged core service infrastructure
Love it or hate it, bureaucracy is a necessary evil that stems from the need to account for every euro spent and most strategic decisions taken in the execution of public administration and governance. Many of us tend to look at it as a national or localised trait. But it is actually a predicament that citizens and enterprises have to face in many other governments across Europe.
In this last decade electronic government, or e-government, as it is better known, has made giant steps to help overcome the hardships of red tape. Many services such as the submission of income tax returns, the publication of a public tender or citizen e-participation portals are available in most European Union countries. Malta itself has done very well by scoring first on all the five core indicators of the EU e-Government Benchmarking for two years running in 2009 and 2010.
While overall good progress has been achieved in most member states, albeit at different speeds, the main obstacle faced is that most e-government services focus on the national dimension rather than addressing the needs of citizens and enterprises in their cross-border exchanges. This means that when a citizen or business requires service from a government other than their own, they must cope with the physical, geographic, procedural and sometimes even legal barriers of national boundaries. This usually happens because each government would have its own rules and formalities which differ from one country to another. Furthermore, each government would usually deploy its own authentication mechanism to validate the electronic identity of its own citizens and businesses, which are not necessarily recognised by another country, even if a member of the EU.
The EU has a special programme that was created specifically to support actions to resolve these issues: the ICT Policy Support Programme (PSP), in fact, is one of three sub-programmes that together make up the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) which has been running since 2007, and will soon come to conclusion by the end of 2013, when it will be superseded by two new funding instruments: the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the new research framework programme Horizon 2020, which will also replace the current FP programme.
The ICT PSP is a vast programme that provides financial support to innovation initiatives in various thematic areas that can help improve the quality of life to citizens, as well as the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises, through the innovative application of ICTs. Because the ICT PSP is precisely a policy support programme, it dedicates an entire theme for the piloting of innovative public services in support of the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE), already explained in previous articles. The overriding aim of this theme is therefore to help sustain the internal market of the European Union and the four freedoms upon which the community of states has been built: the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. This is to be achieved by ensuring that cross-border interoperability of public services is in place to overcome the national barriers of bureaucracy and formality mentioned earlier.
This year’s ICT Innovative Government and Public Services theme has been allocated a 20 million Euro contribution out of a total envelope of nearly 140 million Euro.
Since the programme started in 2007 the Commission has funded a large number of such large scale actions in the area of e-government cross-border interoperability covering specific functions within government (refer to sidebar). These actions – also called Pilot A projects – address the problem of achieving secure and trusted cross-border data exchanges related to electronic identification, government online procurement, electronic health services, cross-border services and the exchange of information in legal proceedings when and where needed. Even if they are projects in their own right, they are actually complementary to each other because they collectively sustain the many aspects of life and business we are all likely to experience in the exercise of our duties and rights either as citizens or as members of any legal entity.
This article only scratches the surface of what Pilot A projects represent and the scope they cover. To date funding of these actions by the EU has been based on a voluntary take-up by the various member states. In other words, member states who decided to participate in these project were not obliged to do so by any EU legislative requirement. Participation, in fact, has been varied with take-up generally being higher by the older, larger or wealthier member states or associated countries such as Norway or Turkey.
Pilot A projects involving a Maltese government participation are SPOCS and e-CODEX (MITA) and epSOS (Ministry of Social Policy, Health, the Elderly and Community Care).
This year’s ICT PSP Work Programme includes a special pilot action called Basic Cross-Border Services, which will bridge the gap between the end of the ICT PSP programme in 2013, and the start of the CEF in 2014. This action will focus on all the building blocks developed by the different pilot projects previously funded, and will prepare a roadmap towards building a sustainable infrastructure for interoperable services, exploiting the achievements of the different pilot A initiatives supported by the CIP ICT PSP programme.
Because the main focus of these pilot actions has been the establishment of common specifications and best practices, they have gradually entered the collective psyche of many ICT professionals working in the context of public administration, as widely accepted de facto standards which member states will in future have to adopt to fulfil the ultimate vision of achieving full pan-European interoperability between public administrations. In this respect, the CEF mentioned earlier, is an interesting development which will see a more systematic and much better-funded approach for the wider deployment of these pilots into a fully fledged, operational core service infrastructure available to European public administrations to interact with each other in a secure and harmonious manner.
The CIP ICT PSP website can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/cip/ict-psp/index_en.htm
The current ICT PSP Work Programme, can be downloaded from: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/ict_psp/index_en.htm
Alexander Borg is an R&I Consultant at MITA
A concert shaped by live text messages from audience
Nationwide music acts are becoming more creative with technology by utilising it during live performances when they roll into town for concerts. Case in point; rock jam band Umphrey’s McGee, organised a digitally interactive concert event that allowed the audience members to engage with the band in real time via text messages. Fans were able to directly text the band song requests during the show, as well as answer questions posed by the group and even recommend when it’s time to switch up the instruments. Dubbed the UMBowl – ‘UM’ representing the band’s initials – it’s designed off the Super Bowl with the inclusion of four quarters. But each quarter had its own interactive theme. Held in the band’s hometown of Chicago, the third annual event took place on Friday, April 27 at the Park West concert venue. “We wanted to create an event that is collaborative, interactive and unlike any other concert people have been to before,” Umphrey’s McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins said. “People are always using their phones, so we wanted to include that as part of the concert experience to facilitate voting for songs and interaction while we play.”
A large screen on stage displayed text messages from fans, so the band could reference them to the audience or adjust the set list accordingly. The first quarter was entitled “All Request Quarter,” where fans chose the set list and dictated instrument switches and solos. The band also asked questions and fans texted their responses. The second quarter was devoted to different themes, scenes and concepts that fans could request through texts. Quarter three which came after a brief intermission was dedicated to “Choose Your Own Adventure”, where the band asked the fans what they should play next and a poll was created. The final act was dedicated to improvised songs that could be swayed by text requests. Between each quarter there was a 15-20 minute intermission. The band prides itself as staying tech-savvy on and off the stage. “We are also very active on social media sites, especially Twitter,” Cummins said. “About 20 years ago, musicians were up on a pedestal and in a fortress somewhere else, but now artists can interact with fans on a personal level anytime, anywhere. We love that. Technology can help create more of an intimate experience and also make for more dedicated fans.”
Umphrey’s McGee also hopes to stream its live shows online in the future. The band believes that you can only reach a small audience when performing a concert, however by streaming online they can enter people’s homes and increase their audience tenfold. Although the band has been touring to promote their latest album ‘Death By Stereo’ and will be appearing in upcoming festivals in New York along side big high profile names – the band will be holding a five-day summer music camp to instruct and jam with 150 fans.
Do you think more artists should incorporate technology into their live performances? This may well be the future of seeing your favourite band in concert.
The Malta Independent ICT Feature
We’ve all been to concerts where we might have either been disappointed or highly satisfied with the performance – and somehow we wished we had the means through which we can let the performer/s know what we’re thinking. This may very soon be possible. An American progressive rock jam band, Umphrey’s McGee, is enhancing their live performances by applying technology. The band is amongst the first to allow the audience to co-produce the concert by sending song requests via text messages during the actual performance.
From influencing a concert via text messages, we now look at the device, which allows you to send texts – the mobile phone. Nowadays, with the vast amount of smartphones available on the market it has become very difficult to choose the right one, which will cater for all your needs. Gone are the days when mobile phones had simple functions, which made choosing a phone quite simple. This week we look at the evolution of the mobile device, how the market has changed from the once highly popular Nokia 3310 to today’s multitude of smartphones. We will also review the features of the newly launched PS Vita.
We all read and hear of new innovations within companies or of new products, but when it involves our country it becomes more personal and of more interest. This week we’re featuring an article tackling innovation within Government services and how the European Union is supporting this innovation through the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). This programme funds a number of large-scale projects involving many partners from various member states, including Malta.
Roderick Spiteri is Marketing and Communications Manager at MITA and editor of Malta Independent ICT feature
Spoilt for choice
With all the phones issued in the last 3 months by different mobile phone manufacturers, it is not surprising that consumers are finding it slightly difficult to choose the right Smartphone for their needs. Robert Cassar, Corporate Sales Executive at Vodafone Malta takes us on a journey from his first Nokia 3310 to the vast choice that customers have today
Today’s telecommunications world has advanced so much that Smartphones are no longer limited to those who have a high budget. So as to address all the different tastes and needs that exist, at Vodafone we’ve been launching the latest devices which can give a great Smartphone experience, carrying from the latest high-tech devices to more economical versions which provide a good Smartphone experience just the same.
Times do change, but they do so quicker in the telecommunications sector. I recall some 10 years ago when after lengthy considerations, of what were the best features in the market I decided to go for a Nokia 3310, specs included voice dialling, a currency converter and the game synonymous with Nokia’s early phones, ‘Snake’. Its price back then was about €280.
Today it’s a totally different story. With even less money than that you can buy an Android Smartphone, the HTC Wildfire S. The best thing about this device is that it packs all together everything you require from a Smartphone and even more. The Wildfire S uses the Android OS which opens the phone to hundreds of thousands of applications, games and utilities.
When considering a Smartphone the first feature I look for, is the ability to geo-tag photos. This is a really cool feature, which help you to identify the location where the photo was taken. If you are abroad on a holiday you will be able to upload photos to an online service such as Picasa and share them with your friends who would know what photos you took and what locations you visited.
Apart from the geo-tagging, the Wildfire S has a 5MP camera which comes with face detection too.
If one is on a stricter budget, there is the HTC Explorer which packs in most of the features of the Wildfire S but comes at an even cheaper price. The main difference between these two devices is the camera and internal memory since the camera on the Wildfire S is 5MP and that found in the Explorer is 3MP. Furthermore, the Wildfire S has a 2GB internal memory whereas the Explorer has none. However, both devices can expand their memory easily and even go to 32GB by simply adding a memory card.
The ideal Smartphone for those who are on a tight budget is the Vodafone Smart Android. What’s great about this Smartphone is that with as little as €69 you can get an Android device. This device is ideal for anyone who is new to the Smartphone world since it gives access to games such as Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, or Cut the Rope. This device further provides the possibility to install easily the Facebook App and gives you the possibility to have constant access to the social networking world.
The biggest advantage I find of having Facebook on the phone, when compared to accessing Facebook from a computer, is that the phone version helps the user to provide real-time updates about what’s happening in their life and what they want to communicate to the outside world. Imagine you’re out and about, and there is a sunset view that you want to share with the world. Having a Smartphone means that you can take a photo of the sunset view and post it on your Facebook page there and then. How cool is that?
And now let’s focus on what has been voted as the ‘Smartphone of the Year’ at the Mobile World Congress held this March – The Samsung Galaxy S II. The Galaxy S II is truly a showcase for the Android OS. This device provides the best possible environment for an Android OS and although it is big it is still pocket-able with a 4.3 inch screen and dual-core 1.2GHz CPU. This makes it more powerful than some desktop computers of a couple of years ago.
This power means that you can easily watch movies on its big screen and you can film high definition video of what’s happening around. Another nice extra is TV Out which gives you the facility of seeing most of the content on the Galaxy S II directly on your TV. And, if you go for an Android you can always download the latest version of ‘Snake’ from Google Play for free!
Apart from the Android family there are other Smartphones who are among the most popular around. Blackberry are still rolling out a number of new phones with their latest addition being the Blackberry 9380 Curve, also known as the Orlando. What I like best about this device is the great touchscreen experience this phone has – an innovation for Blackberry. Blackberry here literally nailed it by integrating in this phone, security and smooth messaging services (email, SMS, Picture messages, IM, Chat). In my view Blackberry offer the best devices around which make communicating with others easy, simple and a pleasant experience.
With the 9380, you have an extra feature, a big touch-screen which comes in handy to watch Youtube videos, browse the internet and go online and use services such as Facebook. It comes with a 5MP camera with flash, image stabiliser, geo-tagging and face detection as well. This phone is quite affordable too, coming with a price tag of €299.
A review of the latest Smartphones must include Apple’s latest iPhone, the iPhone 4S which is possibly the coolest designed phone yet. Its strength is not only the technical features and design, but also the Apple operating system which makes it easy to customize, download apps and use.
One of Apple’s marketing call, ‘there’s an app for that,’ remains a legendary statement which applies to any question including questions as diverse as “how tilted is this table?” or “can I upload all my photos to a secure online space?” or even “can I keep my documents, presentations and excel sheets on my phone instead of on my pen drive?” One would easily find apps, and more often than not, free ones, which can make their iPhone 4S do this stuff and even more.
An added advantage for the iPhone 4S is the simple and great way the phone can sync one’s contacts, ebooks, movies, pictures and other media which one would have on their computer, via iTunes. iTunes is also simple to use and yet at the same time powerful.
Whatever one’s budget, whatever one’s preference when it comes to operating systems, the current devices on the market truly covers any request which one might have. The best thing about this selection is that you can just walk into any of Vodafone’s shops, try the phones out at your own leisure, get expert advice, put your mind at rest when it comes to after-sales, ask questions to the Vodafone team present and possibly decide to buy the device either directly or better still you can get the device for free or at a greatly reduced price with particular tariffs. Vodafone is proud to see itself as the home of the Smartphone and this vast selection of phones gives easy access to thousands of people to try, get informed and choose the best Smartphone for their needs.