Big firms want their share of the action

By MICHAEL FOREMAN

Some of the biggest names in information technology, including Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Novell and Siemens, are pitching for a share of New Zealand's e-government strategy.

For its part, the Government hopes it will avoid another Incis-style debacle by splitting the initiative into a number of small projects.

"The list includes just about everybody," said the head of one software company, who did not wish to be named.

"Nobody has the whole solution, but everyone wants to provide a piece of it."

Microsoft technical marketing group manager Terry Allen said his company had established a Wellington-based group that was dealing directly with the Government's digital initiative team.

"Either directly or through partners we would be very interested in pursuing some of the [e-government] projects and other things that came from them."

He said Microsoft's BizTalk XML server software could serve as the basis for the proposed Secure Electronic Environment (SEE), which is one of 12 e-government projects announced so far.

BizTalk could route messages over disparate systems and act as the glue that would let departments keep their existing technology.

He said Microsoft could also supply security products at the server and the client end that could be used to authenticate users on the net and Microsoft software would not have to be used throughout.

At the server end an authentication system would use Windows 2000 or XP with Active Directory as the underlying core, but it could work in conjunction with systems from IBM or Sun.

Mr Allen admitted Microsoft software had been subject to many security flaws but maintained the company had been more rigorous than most in providing "patches" to fix software bugs. A patch had been provided to fix most recent security problems within one or two days.

"Those security issues are part of a process that everyone needs to be aware of. Security does depend on people being kept up to date."

Novell country manager Peter Revell said his company's Wellington office was in constant communication with the Government unit.

"From our point of view, the key of all this would be the eDirectory to provide a common bridge between different bodies of data."

Mr Revell said Novell's DirXML could tie the existing systems of different Government departments together with minimal disruption.

"It would be very costly and inadvisable for the Government to adopt a rip and replace strategy."

The eDirectory could also be used to authenticate citizens online at security levels that could range from user identity and password to the biometric retinal scan.

"To access social security details, for example, it's quite likely the Government will have far higher levels of authentication, perhaps smart cards."

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