Working in partnership for the people of Herefordshire
FAST Response To e-Citizen's Needs
Herefordshire Council has purchased a groundbreaking search platform as part of its e-Gateway Project.
The Enterprise Search Platform (ESP) is being supplied by the American company FAST, which is a global market leader in search engine technology.
FAST already supply search platforms for both the UK and USA governments, as well as large organisations such as Reuters and Vodaphone. However, Herefordshire Council is the first UK local authority to use such advanced search technology.
The new search platform will enable visitors to the Herefordshire portal to find information about, and do business with, all local organisations which form part of the Herefordshire portal.
For example, a simple request for information about “disability” will generate a list of disability-related source material such as disability legislation and rights, access to local premises, benefits and entitlements, local parking permits, hospital services and voluntary services.
The searcher can then “drill down” to find the specific information they require. Eventually it will also be able to recognise where you are and provide information specific to your locality; for example, jobs in your area, or your nearest police station.
The search engine is already deployed on the new Herefordshire Council website – http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/ - with plans to extend the facility to all portal partners over the next few months.
Julie Holmes, Herefordshire Council’s Head of ICT, said: “ FAST has received numerous awards and widespread industry recognition for its superior enterprise search offerings.
“FAST’s enterprise search technology is enabling both the Herefordshire Partnership and the Council to offer our visitors an easy way to find relevant information and services from the Web without jumping from site to site.
The flexibility of its technology will also allow the Council to further expand its search capabilities as the number of people using the service continues to grow.”
Cllr June French, Cabinet Member (Human Resources and Corporate Support Services), added: “Herefordshire is a forward-thinking authority, which recognises that more and more of our citizens, partners and visitors are turning to electronic media to acquire information, to communicate and to do business.
“This search platform will provide a state-of-the-art one-stop focus for all partnership activity within the county.
“It will make it easier for people to find information and carry out transactions and at the same time reduce the costs of service provision.”