Gosport Takes Five Positive Steps Toward 2005

Gosport borough council has taken positive steps to ensure all its citizens will benefit from the drive to put all government services online by end of 2005. As part of a digital divide bridging strategy, the council has commissioned self-service tech specialists NetShift to provide a complete solution for outdoor Internet kiosks supplied by RSL for general public access.

The Office of National Statistics reported in its most recent findings that 38 percent of adults have never used the Internet, with the figure proportionally higher among low income groups and the elderly. The persistence of the digital divide has inspired progressive councils such as Gosport into action.

"We're putting kiosks onto the streets to provide thousands of people with access to our online services," says Ken Lucking, Corporate Services Manager of Gosport borough council. "While it's important to have our services online by the end of 2005, it's just as important to make them accessible to all our citizens."

In addition to information access, Gosport is introducing transactional services that commentators view as essential to the success of e-government.

Speaking at the recent London Internet Exchange (Linx), Dr Steve Marsh, director of security at the Office of the e-Envoy, said: ""So far we've taken low-hanging fruit - in some cases so low you can trip over it. As we get into transactions and the way services impact people it gets harder."

The Gosport kiosks will offer facilities to pay council tax by card or request council services. These services move the relationship beyond the basic level of information delivery and provide a more efficient service for citizen and council.

NetShift ensures the kiosks are equipped for the challenge of public access. NetShift's software application delivers intuitive navigation for non-technical users, stops navigation beyond relevant sites thanks to a secured browser, and prevents the unattended kiosks from crashing and falling into disuse.

In the first instance, five kiosks will be installed by April, with another 12 planned for the future.