Seppo Sirkemaa

*Turku University of Applied Sciences, Life Sciences and Business, Business Information Technology, Turku, Finland* 

#### **1. Introduction**

150 Security Enhanced Applications for Information Systems

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Internet makes it possible to provide services in a new way, making it possible to create added value to the user. At the same time organizations may re-organize and streamline their processes. Internet is changing the way we purchase products and services. Through Internet we may gather background information on competing products and services, compare and purchase things without the need to leave home. From the business perspective there are several targets when moving activities to the internet, serving customers on a 24 / 7 –basis and global reach are issues that may prompt the development of e-business applications. One of the key drivers in e-business is that internet makes it possible to increase company's efficiency and effectiveness (Rust & Kannan, 2003).

In private sector information technology, internet-based applications and technologies are used widely in e-business applications. Clearly, public sector needs to move from paper to electronic correspondence, and from this toward a self-service model where citizens can get the answers and make transactions through the internet (Atkinson & Leigh, 2003). The concept of service is inextricably linked to e-business applications and the types of services there are in e-business environment (de Ruyter et al., 2001). Here self-service is typical, users have learned to help themselves in finding information and buying products. This is the case also with citizens that are using electronic services provided by public organizations.

The development of electronic services in public sector organizations has been relatively slow (Hasan & Tibbits, 2000; McIvor et al., 2002). This is interesting, because it seems clear that also public sector would benefit from electronic access to services. It is not surprising that there is pressure and an increasing demand for development of e-services in public sector. It is noteworthy, that those who can access internet are in a different position than people who do not have this opportunity (Cullen, 2001). Equal access to internet and services that are made available through it is an issue all over the globe, and it concerns also citizens in the industrialized world.

In this article we look at the challenges that development of electronic services in public sector organizations face. It is an environment which calls for cooperation of various departments and functions, and interaction between service providers, experts and other stakeholders. The question of interest is what makes providing electronic services in public

Services for the Digital Citizen 153

Separate Coordinated

General Individualized

Informative Performative

The first dimension relates to integration of services. Separate e-services are services from one single agency or office. At the other end there are coordinated e-services which are result of cooperation of several agencies or offices. Some coordinated services are fused together, but there are also services that are merely aligned and may still be separated from each other. Fused services are totally integrated and individual services are not separable.

The services may be general in a way that they are not designed for any special group of users. Again, services or part of services may be tailored to specific users or user needs. The third dimension of e-service refers to the degree of information and interaction in the service; whether there is interaction and transaction in the services. This dimension is close to seeing development of e-services as a stage model (Atkinson & Leigh, 2003;

In general, the development of electronic services tends to go through different stages, starting with presence on the internet and moving towards transactional services that make it possible to carry out activities right away (Atkinson & Leigh, 2003; Asgarkhani, 2005). The first stage has mostly to do with providing different kind of information to citizens. In the second stage there are often different forms and applications on the website for the user to download and fill. The most enhanced stage is called transactional services. They are result of services that are made transactional. For example, transactional service is when the citizen can fill-in an application for renewing drivers' license, send it and receive acknowledgement. It might also be possible for the citizen to later track the progress of the

Usually development involves cooperation of several people. Especially in development of electronic services like one-stop government services there is a need to combine resources and expertise from different sources. This means that people from various functions, units and locations are brought together, and also outside expertise is needed. Hence,

The definition of partnership ranges from working relationships to active transactions and collaboration between organizations. Here the term partnership arrangements include different types of joint ventures, subcontracting, alliances and acquisitions. In this paper the

Fig. 1. Three polarities of e-services

drivers' license renewal, for example.

**4. Inter-organizational challenges** 

development can be seen as a partnership.

(Atkinson & Leigh, 2003)

Asgarkhani, 2005).

sector so different from development of e-business applications in private companies. In public sector the goal is not only to move services to internet, it is also a question of developing one-stop government solutions (Kubicek & Hagen, 2000; Gouscos et al., 2003). Let us look closer at development of electronic services in public sector.
