Government immigration department streamlines smart ID card applications

The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region has chosen to use FileNet's ECM solution to help streamline its application process for a recently launched Smart ID Card.

Under a new immigration identification system, Hong Kong's seven million residents are expected to replace their traditional ID cards with new multi-application smart identity cards by 2007. With the Smart ID Cards, holders will be able to enjoy a variety of government electronic services in a safe and secure manner.

Apart from immigration applications, a smart identity card can also support other value-added non-immigration applications, including e-Cert - digital signature certification - and library cards.

The Smart Card project comprises three major components:

conversion of all historical ID applications and related records
into digital images to provide fast, online retrieval. These are currently
kept on microfilm and index cards.

development of a new, multi-application smart card and supporting
high-performance computer system to deliver security and resilience

territory-wide ID card replacement by 2007

It is reported that FileNet's Image Services is a core component of this project. In addition to providing the Immigration Department with a high-performance, high-capacity system for managing the capture, storage and retrieval of all historical ID applications and related records, it is also fully compliant with the government's exacting auditing procedures.

According to FileNet, integrating seamlessly with other enterprise applications and systems at the Hong Kong Immigration Department, FileNet's ECM solution enhances overall efficiency since it enables Immigration Department staff to retrieve historical ID records instantly without having to wait for microfilm or index cards to be found and dispatched from archives. This will help significantly increase the speed at which the new cards are processed. With the ECM solution in place, the Department now has a secure and permanent store of critical immigration information to safeguard from disaster and misuse.

'The Smart Card project is an ideal showcase for FileNet's powerful ECM capabilities - in this case, managing the vast amount of historical data that must now be made instantly accessible to the Immigration Department' said Hugh Sutherland, vice president of Asia Pacific Operations, FileNet Corporation. 'It is yet another example of how FileNet can help organizations manage content by automating, simplifying and streamlining their business processes.'

For further information about FileNet, please visit their website at FileNet.com