London, November 19, 2004 — Designed to bring together London information resources, the London Portal aims to make it easier for those visiting, living and working in London to access information about services, without the need for them to know which geographical area or unit they live in. System Associates are using design experts, NYKRIS, to help deliver an accessible, user-friendly web portal.
It represents a coordinated approach between London public sector organisations involving contributions from all the London Boroughs, London Voluntary Services Council, Greater London Authority, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Transport for London, London Development, Visit London, Business Link4London, NHS and the London Library Development Agency.
Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London said:
“I look forward to the London portal delivering real benefits to the thousands of Londoners who now look on the web for public services. Whether it is to find your nearest GP or post office, work out who has towed your car or submit a permit application, the portal will quickly guide you to the right page on the right agency’s web site. By working across the boundaries between public sector agencies, the portal should make a significant contribution to more coherent, citizen friendly public services for Londoners.”
System Associates, a provider of enterprise-wide Internet technologies, won the tender because of its track record in providing sophisticated internet solutions for many government organisations, including the GLA and HM Treasury.
The project will involve close working with System Associates’ selected partners. Nykris, an award-winning digital media agency specialising in creating usable and accessible websites, will carry out the branding and design of the new portal.
The portal will be underpinned by a sophisticated content management system called g-Serve, which systematically organises content and makes it easy to devolve content responsibility. This will ensure the portal offers up-to-date information that can be viewed in real time. At the front-end of the portal, System Associates will incorporate its google-style search engine called g-Seek, designed to make it easy for users to efficiently find the information they are looking for. The site will comply with stringent accessibility standards as well as current directives of the eGovernment Interoperability Framework (eGIF).
More than 50% of the population now has access to the Internet at home or at work and the Internet has become a major source of information about public services, schools, housing and leisure. The portal will provide far greater accessibility to information for visitors outside of London, as well as for people looking to relocate to London, and it is expected to be a valuable resource for attracting new investment into the Capital.
Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham and Chair of London Connects comments:
“Finally, we will have a London service based around the needs of Londoners, rather than around the needs of London organisations. No longer will people have to worry about who provides which service. The Portal will guide the customer to the right provider they need, whether it is public, voluntary or private.”
The public launch of the first phase of the London Portal will be April 2005.
London Connects is a London-wide agency bringing together local, regional, and central government to support the delivery of the e-government agenda across the capital. Partners include the GLA, the ALG, and London Boroughs; together with other cross-London service providers and agencies, including Health agencies, LDA, TfL, LFEPA, MPS, London Grid for Learning, London Libraries Development Agency, and the London Voluntary Services Council. The work programme is kept under review and revised as appropriate by the London Connects Board and multi-sector Steering Group. Board members are appointed either by the Mayor of London or by the Leaders Committee of the ALG.
About System Associates
System Associates specialises in the delivery of integrated software services including advanced web management such as high availability hosting, security and support. Working for organisations such as HM Treasury, British Library, Greater London Authority, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Buzz Airlines and the London Connects London Portal project, its product portfolio includes a bespoke content management framework, search engine, media asset library, Freedom of Information workflow, single sign-on and large online registration solutions. System Associates boasts particular expertise in e-GIF and government-related
specifications, accessibility, technical architecture, project management, databases and integration.
About NYKRIS
Founded in 1997, NYKRIS is a digital media agency. From complex websites, online advertising and content management systems to interactive kiosks, wireless applications and CD-ROMs, NYKRIS combine technological expertise with world class design to produce award winning creative solutions for a wide range of organisations including Orange, Egg, The Tate, BBC, Microsoft, Science Museum, Smithsonian Institute and The National Gallery.
Nykris were listed as ‘ones to keep an eye on’ by Design Week in December 2002 and have won awards from BAFTA, EMMA, BIMA, International Animation Festival, Wild Screen and MacUser. NYKRIS is based in London and for more information visit www.nykris.com
Kaynak : 