April 2004

Department open for eBusiness

A new IT facility is allowing funded agencies to access Department of Human Services computer systems and applications over the internet.

The eBusiness infrastructure—a trusted and highly-secure facility—has been custom-designed by the Department’s Information Services Branch (ISB).

eBusiness was implemented in 2003 to enable service providers to input and update—as well as read—Department data while ensuring security and protection of systems and data.

It eliminates inefficient and insecure data transfer mechanisms such as paper, floppy disk and email.

The eBusiness infrastructure is already being used for the Victorian Nurses Data Collection System which provides the single, accurate source of nurse workforce data in Victoria.

The Disability Services’ Online Training and Assessment Program (ONTAP) was the first application developed to use the eBusiness infrastructure.

ONTAP identifies the individual training needs of Disability Service workers through workforce planning and competency-based self-assessment modules.

Although no non-Department organisations currently access ONTAP they will later this year.

ISB designed an identity management system to secure the eBusiness infrastructure.

The system allows users to register then log in once with their user-name and password to access the applications and services they are authorised to use.

This does away with the need to remember a username and password for each application.

The Department is developing applications to be used later in the year in the eBusiness infrastructure.

Because of the use of common services in this infrastructure, applications and systems can be developed and deployed quicker and cheaper.

• For more information on the DHS eBusiness infrastructure call Chris Gilmore in the Department’s Information Services Branch on 9637 4770 or email chris.gilmore@dhs.vic.gov.au.