The Government's single largest infocomm technology (IT) outsourcing contract is all about standardisation.

Called the Standard Operating Environment (SOE), it emphasises standards in hardware, software, networks, and most importantly, in the way data is stored and how information is communicated.

The SOE proposals thus must use technologies that are based on standards which will allow, among other things, Government agencies to act as one.

There are many benefits arising from the SOE. Efficiency and increased productivity are two. A third benefit will be that technology allows the public sector to come out with new ways of providing services and managing and tackling issues.

For the public, they can expect a more convenient way of interacting with the Government.

For example, any dealing involving multiple agencies would now be easier to manage. Any company or member of the public will only have to deal with one agency and any transaction undertaken will only be done once.

Take the case of someone who wants to report a change of address. He will have to inform agencies like the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Housing Board (HDB) and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras).

Or anyone who wants to set up a cafe now has to apply for a food shop licence, a liquor licence and a public entertainment licence, among others.

Once the SOE is implemented in all public sector agencies by 2010, the house owner and cafe applicant will only need to access a Government website through his cellphone, laptop computer or handheld computer and apply for the address change or licence.

With strengthened communications in this new system, it is likely that the change and licence approval will be communicated via e-mail, Internet chat or an alert to a mobile device.

So, in effect, the SOE will present one virtual public face for the Government through which it can efficiently and quickly provide services, especially those that involve multiple agencies.

More importantly, it will make it more convenient for the public to interact with the Government.

Government agencies can improve their levels of service via network monitoring system that gauge the amount of time taken to serve customers.

Digital Life looks at three probable scenarios that show how SOE will impact the public service sector and the man in the street.

Imagine calling one number for all Government services.

Whether it's to find out which roads are closed for National Day, to report faulty traffic lights, or to find out how to apply for a hawker licence.

No more carrying a list of emergency numbers on you. A single point of contact to reach any agency will be how the public will interact with the Government,

said Dr Chong Yoke Sin, chief executive of NCS Group which is leading the One Team consortium with partner IBM.

"It's like the 311 service in New York City which did away with 20 pages of the telephone book," said Mr Tan Lark-Yang, general manager of government affairs at Hewlett-Packard (HP).

The company has joined hands with ST Electronics for the SOE project. Explaining how the service works, he said 40 call centres were consolidated into one, saving the costs of running multiple centres.

New Yorkers can call to ask just about anything related to the city administration.

When needed, they will get connected to the right party for follow-up.

"SOE saves time and money. No more explaining (your situation) over and over again, if you get passed from one person or department to the next," Mr Tan said.

Mr Stephen Yeo, vice-president of strategic initiatives at EDS, agreed.

The Singapore Government has more than 70 agencies, and a network of overseas offices. Once the SOE is implemented, the man in the street will feel that he is interacting with one agency only.

EDS is partnering Singapore Computer Systems to bid for the SOE.

Underlying the standard hardware and software is a network infrastructure which includes services like security, remote access, data and voice communications and identity verification.

From keeping out viruses to monitoring network performance, this network ensures that sensitive Government information are kept secure and delivered on time.

Better service response

Tracking and monitoring systems as performance indicators have been around for a while.

By 2010, information can be accessed seamlessly from any system by any public sector worker.

An automated alert system, can also send alerts on network performance via multiple channels - e-mail, instant message or SMS (short messaging system) - to key managers.

The alert can appear on a mobile phone, PDA (personal digital assistant), laptop or desktop computer if a network device, such as a communications card or hard drive, is performing slowly.

Before any problem blows up, an engineer will have been sent to investigate the potential breach.

Current network monitoring systems already provide a service like this. But this "has potential for wider application", said HP's Mr Tan.

He envisaged widespread use of computer dashboards. Different profiles, he explained, "can be customised for different levels of employees so the system knows who to alert and what kind of alerts they get".

Dashboards - also called widgets or gadgets - are alert boxes which sit in a corner of the screen of a mobile device.

"It checks regularly for information and e-mail such as the average waiting time of a service counter or the response time for a website home page to get loaded."

"Or anything else an agency wants to track that could impact its level of service," said EDS' Mr Yeo.

Mr Tan pointed to the example of the current passport counter at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority headquarters.

The average waiting time is displayed for the public to see and this raises the service level to the public.

If, for example, the waiting time suddenly doubles from 10 to 20 minutes, then the manager on duty has to find out what is causing the hold-up.

But while he is investigating, he can decide to re-direct resources, such as adding more people to the counters, to make sure the service level remains acceptable. Cisco's system engineering manager, Mr Tang Meng Hong, pointed out that had the SOE been available now, the former National Kidney Foundation chairman Richard Yong, would not have been allowed to leave the country.

"The moment he had been declared a bankrupt, all agencies would have been informed by alerts. He would not have been able to leave the country."

Seamless network

Creativity and productivity can be expected to increase since no one will have difficulties using new standard IT systems.

Mobility in private companies usually translates to an employee being able to work from any location in the network, just by unplugging his computer from one location and plugging it on in another.

Once fully implemented, the SOE will allow a public sector worker not only to be able to move from one department to another, but to work on-site at any agency.

"And he or she does not have to unplug any computer. It is possible to walk over to another department and use any machine," said HP's Mr Tan.

EDS' Mr Yeo explained that under one Government, "all personal settings are kept and all data files can be accessed by its owner from anywhere".

SOE allows workers to work out of the office easily, unlike in the current system.

This 'borderless mobility' is available anywhere and anytime and allows public servants to be more effective.

Businessmen, companies and members of the public will also be able to interact with the Government in this manner. They don't have to go back to the office and send an e-mail or make a phone call.

They can contact any agency or give their feedback wherever they are through their mobile devices such as the notebook or PDA, thus increasing the contact points and interactions with government agencies, said NCS? Dr Chong.

"Technology will change the way the public engages with the government to anytime, anywhere instead of a fixed point," said Mr Tan.

This level of engagement will be possible because the SOE allows government agencies to roll out new services quicker.

This can be easily done as SOE allows software modules to be re-used and re-packaged as new services.

"With more wireless hot spots made available under the Wireless@SG programme, the public can do wireless transactions anywhere and anytime," he added.

"It will take interaction with government to a totally new level," said Cisco's Mr Tang.