The first priority area of the e-Gateway project is the establishment of a shared and secure telecommunications and data infrastructure, and related services such as licensed software, citizen contact center and email services. Sharing of infrastructure and services ensures that resources are optimally utilized, and fragmented departmental “IT silos” are gradually integrated. The UN E-Government Survey 2008 notes that telecommunications infrastructure is a key building block to ensure e-government success. The report states:
“it is evident that a robust broadband network is critical to the roll-out of e-government applications and services” and that “governments must ensure that their back office operations are seamless and integrated into one system that bridges content and data available at different sites”. (p. 42)
“the reason why many countries from Asia and Africa are unable to rank among the top 35 (e-govt readiness ranking) is the inability to deploy a robust infrastructure capable of handling e-government applications”. (p. 20)
The following initiatives are planned for the first phase of the E-Gateway Project:
Shared Infrastructure
1. Tier 3 level Data Center
2. Help Desk for IT Trouble Shooting
3. Province wide Connectivity
Shared Services
4. E-Gateway Training Lab
5. Citizen Contact Center
6. Licensed Software
7. E-mail and Identity Management Infrastructure
8. Spatial Data Infrastructure
