Gov't offices tap ICT to improve operations

BusinessWorld Online

February 11, 2005

Gov't offices tap ICT to improve operations

Citrix Systems, Inc., a global provider of infrastructure solutions, has announced in a statement that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is implementing the Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server to provide up to 4,000 employees and project workers with access to core applications.

The department is in its first phase of implementation, where it is scheduled to install the Citrix solution to a number of users at its headquarters by end-2004. In the next phase that is scheduled to begin early 2005, the DSWD will roll out the Citrix solution to its 16 field offices nationwide.

Once fully deployed, the Citrix solution would enable up to 4,000 employees and project staff to gain remote access to a variety of management applications and specifically the electronic new government accounting system (e-NGAS) -- all of which will help DSWD to automate and streamline its finance, human resource and administrative management functions.

"The Citrix solution will deliver significant benefits to various beneficiaries," said social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman. "It would enable the DSWD to efficiently source, acquire and deliver relief goods to victims at disaster areas nationwide; it would improve reporting and information sharing across all of DSWD's field offices; and it would enhance productivity and utilisation of human resources."

Solomon F. Paz, DSWD director of management information systems service which is overseeing the project, said the agency encountered hurdles at the onset.

"Without Citrix, the DSWD would have required massive financial and manpower resources to implement the government accounting system and management software across the 16 field offices," said Mr. Paz. "It would have taken us six months just to deploy the system."

By using Citrix to centralize systems management and deployment, he said the department is now able to roll out the government system and management software throughout its offices nationwide within a matter of weeks, inclusive of training time.

"We are honored to have a government organization use Citrix technology to service the thousands of agency employees and workers, and that we are able to assist them in saving time, improving employee productivity, and streamlining business processes," said Yaj Malik, area vice-president, ASEAN, Citrix Systems.

The Citrix implementation was managed by Wordtext Systems, Inc., a Citrix access partner.

UPGRADED SYSTEMS

Meanwhile, in line with the administration's mandate to support ICT (information and communications technology) use in remote communities, the Telecommunications Office (Telof), the government arm which provides the most extensive telecommunications network in the country, has tapped Cisco Systems to upgrade its systems to an IP (internet protocol)-based network under the Community e-Center (CeC) project in Vizayas and Mindanao

Virgilio R. Peña, chairman of the Commission on Information Communications Technology said with the Cisco IP network in place, Telof will be able to provide access to a variety of information and communications services such as internet, e-mail, facsimile, voice over IP, distance learning, and other online community-based services.

"Telof's extensive network will allow us to really showcase and put to optimal use the capabilities of the IP solution that we offer," said Luichi Robles, country manager, Cisco Systems Philippines.

Cisco Systems has provided multi-service routers, call manager telephony solution, and universal gateway to support Telof's integrated network. Previously, TELOF operated a microwave network with public switched telephone network lines at the last mile, which facilitates analog voice connectivity to the rural areas.

As with all government procurement projects, the CeC was subject to an open bid that was participated in by a few IT companies and partners.

Trends & Technologies, Inc. bid won the project and in the technical evaluation stage, Cisco Systems' reputation as a technology leader and the well-defined strategy in implementing the project clinched the deal for this alliance, said Dominador Garabiles, TELOF team leader and project manager, CeC Project.

"Telof's criteria for the partner-supplier were reliability and capability to deploy and support the planned network infrastructure. As for the network technology, the top consideration is the capability to support and provide solutions for voice, data and Internet communications. Trends & Technologies, Inc. and Cisco Systems alliance proved to be a perfect fit to the requirements," said Jerry Buan, business development manager for network solutions, Trends & Technologies, Inc.

Telof traces its history to the Bureau of Telecommunications in 1947, which offered traditional communications services with telegraph stations, digital telephone exchanges, an emergency communication system, and public calling offices nationwide. On Jan. 12, 2004, it effectively became part of the newly created Commission on Information and Communications Technology pursuant to Executive Order No. 269.