European Usable Platform for Mobile Citizens gets Launch

USE-ME.GOV (usability-driven open platform for mobile government) is a research and development project designed to support and to encourage the access to new e-government services at any time and anywhere through the use of mobile communications and Internet technologies.

The main goal of USE-ME.GOV is to contribute to a Next-Generation Open Service Platform for mobile users that can be shared by networked authorities and institutions (e.g. on a regional scale) in terms of technical infrastructure, information (content) as well as a framework for commercial exploitation.

The new open platform will support usability, openness, interoperability, scalability, thus facilitating service deployment and access, as well as attractive business models satisfying service providers, public authority and citizens.

Specifically it's three objectives are:
* Open Platform for Mobile Services
* Usability – Intuitive Mobile Interfaces
* Recommendations for Service Planning

E- Government Bulletin reports that before the end of the year, there will be four pilot projects up and running to test ways of delivering information about healthcare, schools, and transport to the mobile phones of citizens. As part of the pilot phase, the Italian city of Bologna will provide citizens with traffic-related information; and the Spanish city of Badajoz will experiment with using mobile services to improve communication between teachers, parents, and students. Authorities of the city of Gydnia in Poland, and the town of Vila Nova de Cerveira in Portugal will also take part in the project.

Associated Link: USE-ME.GOV

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