From Vision to Reality

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From Vision to Reality

• Jóhann Gunnarsson

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The Vision of 1996

• A Government strategy and future vision published
  1996

Iceland shall be in the forefront of the world's
nations in the utilisation of information
technology in the service of improved human
existence and increased prosperity.
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Five main objectives

• Easy access to the information society
• Facilitate access to governmental information and
  services
• ICTs used to improve competitiveness, increase
  productivity and proliferate possibilities of
  exporting inventiveness.
• Adapt the educational system, focus upon the
  advantages of the information society, keep watch
  over our language and culture.
• Legislation, rules to be re-examined with respect
  to information technology to stimulate
  technological progress and to protect the rights
  of individuals and companies.

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Information Society Task Force

• Government strategy 1996
• Capitalise on Traits of National Character

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Where are we?
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The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
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Land and population

• Land size
• 103 000 sq. km
• Population
• 286 000
• 2.7 inhabitants per sq. km
• Whereof in Reykjavík and suburbs
• 62

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Export Revenue (2000)
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Payment card transactions -per capita in Europe
Source European Payment Cards / Litill Heimur
Consultancy Ltd.
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Information Society Task Force

• Government strategy 1996
• Capitalise on Traits of National Character
• Cultural heritage is information
• The Árni Magnússon Institute

http//www.am.hi.is
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Information Society Task Force

• Government strategy 1996
• Capitalise on Traits of National Character
• Cultural heritage is information
• Development project
• Financial support to selected projects

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Hallmundur Albertsson
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Three priority projects plus one

• an initiative in the field of education,
• adequate transmission capacity and security in
  the telecom system,
• adherence to the government's tendering policy in
  software purchases.
• focus on e-government and e-commerce

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What has been achieved?

• A long tradition for cooperation between agencies
• The National Register of Persons and Businesses
  (CRP)
• a unique identification

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Successful eGov applications

• A common document handling system
• Integrated financial and human resources systems
• Electronic marketplace
• Public key infrastructure
• Access to public sector information
• http//www.raduneyti.is
• Libraries and databases
• http//www.hvar.is

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Public key infrastructure

• Task force proposals, Nov. 2001
• Urgent to define PKI for the government
• Preferable to follow the Scandinavian way
• Use standardised market solutions
• Think big, start slow, scale when youre ready
• Start pilot projects as soon as possible
• Decide who shall run the show in the government

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Digital certificate project 2003

• Digital certificates at the Directorate of
  Customs and the Directorate of Fisheries
• The pilot project
• Led by the Ministry of Finance
• Participants Various institutions and
  directorates

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Aims of pilot project

• Expand the Customs solution to include
• Opportunity for other agencies
• More stringent rules for identification
• Develop Certification policy and practice
• Test interoperation of certificates from various
  vendors
• Introduce the concept to business and public
• Gather experience to build on our future PKI

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The solution

• Certificates and supporting systems licensed from
  Verisign Corp. through Skýrr hf.
• Two types of certificates
• public for signing and encrypting e-mail etc.
• private for accessing government systems like
  customs and VAT

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Top performers

• Information system on landed catch and fishing
  quotas of individual fishing vessels
• Electronic customs clearance of goods over the
  Internet using digital signatures
• Electronic tax returns

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Electronic tax returns 1999-2002
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Six possible success factors

• The Economy
• The Education System
• Geographical Situation
• Democratic Tradition
• Opportunity for Rural areas
• Receptivity to Technology

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How have we fared?

• An evaluation o the project performed by IBM
• Easy access to the information society
• Facilitate access to governmental information and
  services
• Improve competitiveness, increase productivity
  and proliferate possibilities of exporting
  inventiveness.
• Adapt the educational system, keep watch over our
  language and culture.
• Legislation.

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World Economic Forum
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Composite index
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Environment factors
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Are they ready?
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Who is using it?