News

Brussels, 22 October 2009 – The Federal Public Service Finance has selected IBM Lotus Notes as its new e-mail platform. The 30,000 federal civil servants working in the department also have access to a range of new capabilities in the area of instant messaging, as well as integration with telephony and voicemail. In addition, they will also be able to consult their business e-mails from wherever they happen to be, with secure access via My Minfin.

Since 2003, e-mail has become an important communication tool in the Federal Public Service (FPS) Finance. But after five years of intensive use, the department began looking for ways of modernising its existing platform, which was only able to provide its 30,000 or more users with limited functionalities. Moreover it was being managed externally. A number of clear objectives were laid down for the search. For example, the new environment had to provide optimum comfort and convenience for users. This meant achieving a ‘high-function’ environment that also had to be simple to use. A further requirement was for the new platform to be managed by FPS Finance’s own people. Moreover it had to be a ‘standard application’ that had already demonstrated its reliability in large organisations of a comparable nature and size and for which support could be guaranteed in Belgium. Finally, the system had to provide an appropriate level of openness so that it could keep pace with technological developments, as well as handle new capabilities.

After a public tendering process, FPS Finance opted for IBM Lotus Notes 8.0.2, a solution that provided the government department with a robust and stable enterprise platform capable of anticipating the future needs of users. Following the signing of the contract at the end of 2008, the introduction of IBM Lotus Notes was planned in two phases. Phase 1 was completed at the end of June 2009, giving all users standard functions (e-mail, calendar and contact management) within the same interface in a fully integrated working environment. Phase 2, planned for this autumn, covers a whole range of new capabilities, such as instant messaging and integration with telephony and voicemail, as well as signing e-mails using e-ID.

The new e-mail platform also enables all department employees to view their business e-mails regardless of where they happen to be, with secure access provided by My Minfin. This secure access is protected by the use of e-ID or by authentication using a ‘token’ (a digital or electronic signature based on a code). Another benefit of the new system is that mailboxes are now virtually unlimited in size, since storage has evolved from being online to nearline. This also gives public servants additional flexibility. A comprehensive e-learning module provides clarification of the ins and outs of using the new system.

“A project of this size and scope involves more than the purely technical,” explains Louis Collet, ICT Director at FPS Finance. “We were aware that many of our staff had to spend time getting used to the new environment, which tempered their initial enthusiasm somewhat. But e-learning and especially personal on-the-job guidance gave them an extra helping hand, which meant that the migration process went smoothly. We are extremely pleased that the implementation phase has now been completed successfully and that we have an open and secure system that not only offers us a wide range of capabilities, but also features a very high level of security for users.”

“Working with IBM Technology Services and our Business Partner, GFI,” adds Laurent Boes, Manager Lotus Software, IBM BeLux, “we completed the vast majority of the roll-out to over 30,000 users in less than six months. FPS Finance is now one of the biggest Lotus users in Belgium. As a result of introducing our out-of-the-box solution, the department now has a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution that entirely meets the current and future needs of users. It is also an open system with the right Total Cost of Ownership for maintaining existing investments.”

About FPS Finance
The primary task of the Federal Public Service Finance is to collect and manage a large proportion of the financial resources required to meet the overall needs of a modern state. The Federal Public Service Finance aims to collect taxes fairly and correctly, in other words to ensure that every taxpayer pays the amount legally owing: no more, no less. The Federal Public Service Finance also ensures, through the Treasury, the balance between revenues and expenditure for the account of the Federal State. The Federal Public Service Finance also handles other vital tasks of great importance, such as documentation on inheritance. When there are checks on merchandise flows, the Federal Public Service Finance also plays a part in safeguarding public health, the environment and the safety of people and goods, especially in the fight against illegal trafficking and terrorism.

About IBM: www.ibm.com/be

For more information:

IBM
Yves Van Seters
yvanseters@be.ibm.com
+32 (0)478 - 27 10 33

FPS Finance
Nadia Abbes-Orabi
nadia.abbesorabi@minfin.fed.be
+ 32 (0) 257 641 94 / +32 (0) 479 76 74 04