VALID's e-finance initiative makes e-Government affordable to all

VALID is pleased to announce its new e-Government financing option for all public sector agencies. Based on a per population pricing initiative, the new financing option will enable public bodies to take advantage of VALID's e-Government solutions via a quarterly payment scheme, based on the accurate usage of the software.

There are increasing demands on public sector bodies to meet a range of e-Government deadlines and a plethora of new laws, ranging from Freedom of Information to Data Protection and Human Rights. This new scheme enables public sector agencies to satisfy these demands by acquiring the latest technology through spread payments.

Valid Information Systems is a leading supplier of e-Government solutions to both central and local government agencies, through its understanding of this sector it has taken the unusual step of incorporating a public sector ethos into its payment structure. A robust business case can be made for providing technology to improve service delivery based on the community that it will serve, this is further enhanced by offering payment terms that reflect this usage.

Steve Jones, sales director, Valid Information Systems, "The launch of this new scheme coincides with a report from e-Minister Patricia Hewitt and e-envoy Andrew Pinder highlighting the poor take up of e-Government. Valid is only too well aware of the inhibiting factors and we are trying to make the proposition more attractive by making it both more affordable and easier to implement through providing a modular IT architecture.

"This new system answers many of the public sectors' concerns as to how they can comply with new legislation and meet electronic service targets. Our proven track record in this sector, including the Cornish Key pathfinder infrastructure, we hope will give agencies the confidence to go ahead and take the plunge. We will hold their hand every step of the way as well as providing a financial plan that will enable them to create a future-proof and scalable infrastructure within budget."

VALID's new scheme permits the installation of a complete Public Record Office-approved document and record management solution at a fraction of its true costs, spreading payment so as to ensure you pay only for what you use and maintaining the flexibility to incorporate upgrades to the system.

The modular e-Government solution allows customers to select key components of the system and extend it according to individual priorities. For example, a council may wish to purchase a document management system to free up storage areas and manpower. However, in order to comply with the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Acts, a records management solution is also required. Once these are in place the council may wish to extend its on-line service access, necessitating integration with other systems as well as tailored workflows. Later on, it may link up with other agencies to create a truly joined-up service. The solution, regardless as to how or when it is delivered, can be paid for on a quarterly basis.

This scheme also takes into account the practical implications of a large installation where many licences are required but will not all be rolled out immediately. In order to obtain the best discount the customer will buy the maximum number of licences but only pay rental on those licences being used.

This also works retro-actively, so when a client buys more licences he will be able to obtain a discount on the total number of licences being used.

In line with the growing trend towards hosted applications, the scheme allows for quarterly payment on a per event basis such as per processed purchase order.