Christchurch Firm Awarded Niuean e-Government Project
24-Apr-2007 - Company Press Release
Web project will improve community access to Government services and build IT skills in Niue
Christchurch, New Zealand; 23 April, 2007 - The Government of Niue has selected Christchurch-based software developer SAFI Technologies Ltd to develop a government information website, or portal, together with an intranet for Niue public servants. The project, funded by the United Nations Development Programme, is an important early step in the creation of a comprehensive e-government system for Niue.
The website (www.gov.nu) will make it easier for Niueans, at home and overseas, to gain access to government services, official information and news.It is proposed that the website would include sub-sites for individual villages and allow citizens to make enquiries of public servants directly. Government employees using the intranet will be able to more effectively communicate and share data between departments. Tools to track government assets and projects may also be included.
The Government of Niue also hopes that the project will help grow computer literacy and technical capacity throughout the island.
We believe that the government website will encourage people to use the internet more frequently as well as improve access to government services, said Niuean Minister of ICT and Telecommunications Rt Hon. Bill V. Motufoou. Public servants will also gain new skills as communications technology is increasingly being seen as crucial to departmental operations.
The willingness of SAFI Technologies to share skills and increase the capabilities of local technical staff to install, operate and manage ICT systems and technology is another important benefit to Niue. Government IT staff have already been trained in the use of Microsoft web and software development tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio, which were donated by Microsoft New Zealand.
Up skilling our employees in industry-standard technologies decreases Niue's reliance on external resources and means we can deliver a more responsive service, said Niue Government IT Manager Paul Collins. Our work with SAFI Technologies Ltd has fast-tracked local staff's knowledge about how to develop, install and maintain enterprise-wide ICT systems. Having systems that are built by Niueans and can be supported by Niueans should ensure their on-going sustainability.
SAFI Technologies' Managing Director Tim Johnson says experience has taught him that there are particular challenges when doing ICT projects in the Pacific. The cost of freighting IT equipment to the islands and lack of locally available IT skills can make it difficult for a small country to keep up with the latest technology. Yet clients still require high-quality work and ongoing support. That's why a partnership that builds the capabilities of local IT staff and uses well-supported industry standard technologies is the most sustainable solution for Niue.
Paul Collins says the government purposefully chose Microsoft software and tools over open-source alternatives. As a developing nation in a remote location, it is acutely important to have access to reliable and quality support resources, which Microsoft is able to provide online.
Previously we have had a variety of poorly documented software that was difficult to maintain or support. This has proven to very costly in the long run. By obtaining Microsoft based software from a reliable and external source, and training our people in it, we can be assured of receiving maintenance and support in future.
The e-government portal will run on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Internet Information Server 6.0, while the intranet will be created using Microsoft .NET 2.0 tools and SQL Server 2005.
