A prototype of London's long awaited e-services portal is soon to be tested with users, according to the capital's e-government agency. The portal, known as Your London, is now accessible in a pilot version but has not yet been publicly unveiled. The pilot site has a section offering advice for business, information for tourists and a "find your nearest" search engine. The system provides a map with directions to the nearest cash machine, police station, hospital and public toilet.
London Connects, the capital's e-government agency, is to start "user acceptance testing" throughout March 2005 before a "soft launch" in April. It plans to offer personalised services, which it likes to shopping on Amazon.
The agency has been working with IT firm System Associates and designer NYKRIS to under a £2m contract to develop the portal over the last few months. The aim is to offer a single point of access to public services across London, covering a range of organisations including all the capital's boroughs, the London Voluntary Services Council the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Transport for London, Visit London and the NHS.
The portal project was first initiated as long ago as 1998 but has suffered a series of delays. Officials are keen to launch a full public version of the portal, but want to test it as comprehensively as possible first.
Quelle: KableNET, 23.02.2005
