Friday, Aug 26, 2016

Sharjah: A new centralised digital network will be created in Sharjah to link all government bodies and agencies to allow for the seamless transfer of electronic data, Sharjah’s Department of eGovernment (DeG) has announced.

Relying on in-house Emirati talent, the infrastructure project will usher in the network in two phases, with the first linking 32 departments followed by a further 97 government agencies coming online the second phase.

All 129 Sharjah government departments will be connected through a new centre that uses cloud technology. The network will also link with national electronic services to provide more convenience for members of the public.

Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director-General of the Department of eGovernment in Sharjah, praised the project as yet another milestone to ring in a new digital era.

“Currently, we are building a comprehensive network which efficiently links local government departments in a way that ensures the seamless transfer of electronic information,” Al Qasimi said in a statement.

A new management team comprised of young nationals has taken the reins of the project after international consultants helped in the early stages of set-up.

“Today, DeG relies on the excellent competencies of Emirati employees who supervise and follow up the process of linking up Sharjah’s government departments, ensuring in the process that their operations meet the highest international standards. I would like to point out that all DeG projects are implemented by skilled national employees without any outside help from foreign companies,” said Al Qasimi.

A key feature of DeG’s new infrastructure project is a research and development (R&D) section staffed by Emiratis. The facility will see talented local personnel using their skills to harness modern technology to come up with practical solutions aimed at benefiting all sectors in the emirate. Their work will include creating robotic systems in data centres that are capable of performing human tasks, with the results highlighting UAE nationals’ high degree of aptitude, innovation and creativity.

“Through our new R&D section, we plan to build cutting-edge capacities, such as the manufacturing of robotics. These devices will reduce the need for personnel at data centres by performing human tasks, such as measuring temperatures, replacing USB flash drives and other procedures. An innovative feature of this new section is that it will be open to receive creative ideas from members of the public, whether public or private sector employees, interested individuals, students or industry specialists. It will analyse and evaluate the feasibility of their suggestions and design appropriate solutions based on the ones accepted,” said Al Qasimi.

The foundations for DeG’s new digital infrastructure were laid last year when the authority completed its building of the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), which allows users to work without the need of servers. The programmes they use, as well as the data they generate, are stored on the Cloud, reducing effort, costs and resource expenditure.

The new network will translate into greater efficiency for public users, he said.

“For example, the government networking system protects the data of companies and individuals from being lost or hacked. It also does away with the need for them to carry the same documents and papers each time they are required to undertake a new transaction at a government department, thereby increasing the speed and simplicity of such transactions. This can only enhance the customer experience and lead to higher levels of satisfaction,” he added.

For the past two years, DeG has been collaborating with the UAE’s mGovernment initiative, which aims to establish shared resources across government entities at the national level and bring their services closer to the public. Through the e-identity project, the entities are working to dispense with the need for UAE citizens to duplicate information when seeking UAE government services outside their emirate of residence by linking personal information at a national level.

To accompany the launch of the new government communications infrastructure, DeG is planning a significant awareness campaign in collaboration with prominent educators and social experts.

Staff Report

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