The development of IT technologies in Estonia has become important since 1991. In fact the development of IT technologies was one of the most important elements in the country's modernization process which began shortly after the events that helped the country gain back its independence. Since 1991 various initiatives have been created, proposed and then implemented. According to the latest unofficial statistics Estonia is one of the countries of EU where IT technologies are in wide use. Let's have a more detailed look at what exactly has been done in the field of IT in Estonia over the last 10 – 15 years.
One of the best examples here is related to what we call today e-government. E-government provides with access to administrative procedure 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Every citizen and legal resident of the country has an ID equipped with a computer-readable microchip. Every ID can be used via a special card reading device. Such ID-card helps making many procedures on-line without contact public administration. First of all, ID-cards are massively used as identification tools in Internet banking sector as well as on e-government pages. Secondly, having an electronic ID – card gives an opportunity to participate in e-voting on both local and national level. The cards are used to get access to the online ballot. All a voter needs is a computer, an electronic card reader, their ID card and its PIN, and they can vote from anywhere in the world. Estonian e-votes can only be cast during the days of advance voting. On election day itself people have to go to polling stations and fill in a paper ballot. At present Estonia counts more than a million of active ID-cards (population of the country is only 1, 4 million people). This number shows very well that ID-cards are really used by people.
When speaking about e-government, let's not forget a state web page www.eesti.ee. The web page was created in ordet to facilitate administrative procedures for citizens, companies and public servants. What can a citizen do using this page? A person who needs to fullfil different administrative procedure can have access to:
• all the necessary documents and databases of the National Tax and Customs Board;
• all the information related to digital signature;
• various information about social services, etc.
What concerns paying taxes, National Tax and Customs Board has created e-customs and e-tax platforms. These are special electronic service desks providing with:
• access to tax and customs services (declarations, etc.) in the Internet
• secure data exchange and personal information sending
• separate services for private and business clients
• high-speed, simple, convenient and paper-free procedures
Another important IT project introduced is Internet-based database named “Elektrooniline Riigiteataja”. The database's main function is to give access to all legislative documents issued by the Parliament, the Government and other Legal Institutions. In fact, since January 1st 2006 e-Riigiteataja is the only form of publishing legislative documents. Paper versions are no longer in use and may be used in some exceptional situations.
If we go back to digital ID-cards application, it's necessary to mention that ID-cards help to access another IT solution – a digital signature. A digital signature is officially recognized as being equal to a traditional one. Documents can be signed digitally using ID-cards and their PIN1 and PIN2 codes. Digital signatures are now widely used in different application procedures.
For instance, when a person needs to apply for a new passport or a driving license, she/he only has to fill in a special form, then sign it digitally and send it by e-mail to the administration. The document is then sent by mail to the person.
What concerns other fields where IT solutions are widely applied, we can easily take education as an example. All primary and secondary school as well as professional education centers have to use a web space www.ekool.ee (ekool = e-school). Students and their parents have access to all the necessary information regarding the education process. All universities are also using e-learning platforms in order to facilitate the exchange of information between a student and a University.
Also I would like to talk about learning environment we use in our university.
Our system is entitled webct.e-uni.ee. This system is designed for different subjects, the purpose of this system is to simplify the daily access to the learning materials. The system permits to do different exercises; you can view video and audio materials and make quizes and tests. The system is very good because it is possible to communicate with teachers and other students.
In our university, there is another system called ois.ttu.ee which serves to fill the declaration of objects, you can also view the results of the subjects study, that is to work with documents.
The latest IT solution that is being launched in Estonia is e-healthcare. The Ministry of Healthcare decided to facilitate several administrative procedures regarding making appointments, payments, etc. A special web space designed to e-healthcare services helps people:
to make appointments without having to call or go to the healthcare organization;
to look through their previous diagnosis and illnesses;
to get access to several medical analysis results and prescriptions.
E-healthcare services are considered to be especially good for the people living in the countryside who had to go the healthcare organization each time they needed something. For example, the possibility to have access to digital prescription is a common project of the Ministry of Healthcare, Estonian Health Insurance Fund and pharmacies. Doctors only have to make an e-prescription and then a patient only should go to the pharmacy that has already got the access to the prescription ordered.
In addition to various IT solutions used in different fields, we may also give some more examples of using software available in Internet in everyday life. For example, people start using Skype application instead of using traditional phones. Companies also start using Skype instead of using traditional phones.
Air companies, for example Estonian Air, use Skype as a primary tool in their call centers.All the examples mentioned above show very well that the development of IT technologies in Estonia is very important. It certainly makes everyday life much easier for everybody: people, companies and public service agencies. In general it helps raising the quality of life.
Used Literature:
Web resources
1. http://id.ee
2. http://www.eesti.ee
3. http://www.emta.ee
4. http://www.riigiteataja.ee/
5. http://www.ekool.ee
6. http://ois.ttu.ee/help/ois/help_en/abi.htm
7. http://webct.e-uni.ee
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebCT
