Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) in Finland has selected Teamware Group to build their new web service on the Teamware Pl@za® platform. As part of the complete solution also the ministry's publication system will be renewed by using Republica's X-Fetch-based multi-channel publishing tool.

Through the revamping of its web site, STM aims to enhance the usability of the site by improving the functionality and graphic design. The decentralized updating process will be furbished, and the publication system will be made to meet the latest government requirements.

"With the help of an XML-based publication system we'll be able to effectively utilize the data produced in various locations and with different software. The new system will convert the data into the required formats and automatize the publication process both in our own web site and in the government news flow," says Web editor Iiris Sauli from STM.

The new web service is an outcome of the ministry's communications strategy, which emphasizes the importance of web-based communications. It is a remarkable step in networking of the Finnish governmental services and introducing new technologies.

"By utilizing the dynamic web platform and the latest technology, STM can streamline its operations and free resources from laborious updating and publishing routines to more productive work," says Managing Director Rauno Toivonen from Teamware Group.

At the first phase the ministry's public web site will be brought to the Teamware Pl@za platform, but later on it is possible to expand the system also to intra- and extranet environments.

The new solution will include novel services to be tailored for special user groups, such as visually disabled persons, and to be used with different browsers and terminal devices. The solution will be hosted on a Teamware server.

"We were looking for a credible supplier, who would be able to develop different systems and integrate them seamlessly. Teamware Group has convincing and long-term evidence of these matters while developing Teamware Office" groupware. We are looking for possibilities to integrate both our internal and external systems in the Teamware Pl@za solution," says Hannu Örn, senior inspector responsible for IT-matters at STM.

As well as several other ministries in Finland also Ministry of Social Affairs and Health uses Teamware Office. All together Teamware has a 60 per cent share of the public sector groupware market in Finland.

Press contacts:
Iiris Sauli, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Tel. +358 (0)9 160 4141
E-mail: iiris.sauli@stm.vn.fi
www.stm.fi

Hanne Järvelä, Teamware Group Oy
Tel. +358 (0)9 5128 2721
E-mail: hanne.jarvela@teamware.com
www.teamware.com