A Finnish financial sector union, Trade union Suora, has chosen Teamware Group to implement their interactive intra-, extra- and Internet solution. The solution, to be built on the Teamware Pl@za® platform, will provide Suora's 36.000 members with improved communications channels and unparalleled possibilities for interaction regardless of time or location.

Trade union Suora is an interest group, whose members work in banking and financial tasks, social security functions and with gaming machines and alcohol sales. Suora supervises the interests of these groups and improves their working conditions. With the help of its representatives and networks, the union promotes the wellbeing of its members. The union also takes part in incomes policy and drafting legislation as well as matters pertaining to the development of the industries represented by it.

The renewing of the trade union's web site is connected with a comprehensive development project aiming at improved member services and enhanced image. "Through the interactive web solution we want to make our operations more effective. With Teamware Pl@za we'll be able to communicate with our members in real time and interact with each other in a whole new way", says Seppo Siika-aho, research secretary and the person responsible for web development of Suora.

The solution will include virtual workspaces for different interest groups and committees within the union. These enable interaction 24 hours a day. In the future registrations and member surveys will be handled over the web.

Suora is also planning to integrate their member databases with the new system.The updating of the new site will be decentralized around the organization. The solution will be hosted on a Teamware server. It is estimated to be finalized by the end of March 2002.

Teamware Pl@za is a set of ready-made Internet services integrated into a Java based platform. It enables the rapid implementation and easy maintenance of interactive Web sites for a wide range of Web community applications. The dynamic Teamware Pl@za environment promotes interaction within the community and among its members.