5 technologies set to change government
Governments are embracing new technologies to deliver far-reaching economic and social benefits for their citizens, underpinning the digital economy. However, amid pressure on government CIOs to overcome legacy applications, here are five technologies set to transform government service provision.
1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are seen helping policymakers become more pre-emptive in resource optimisation and predictive maintenance.
An example cited by the OECD is IP Australia’s creation of the ‘Australian Trade Mark Search’, driven by image recognition and AI technology.
The new system uses image searching and machine-learning technology to drastically simplify trademark searches, as well as helping improve the quality of trademark applications, delivering greater benefits to Australian businesses.
2. BLOCKCHAIN
Blockchain is considered by Gartner to have the biggest impact on non-financial uses such as public records, voting and citizen transactions with government.
Examples include citizens participating both as consumer and provider to a local power grid, such as through Australian startup Power Ledger, a blockchain energy-trading company that enables households and businesses with solar panels and batteries to trade surplus energy.
However, Gartner expects it will be at least five to 10 years before blockchain matures to deliver substantial benefits, “but it will lead to radical transformation of some government functions and services”.
3. CONVERSATIONAL USER INTERFACES
These allow interactions to occur in the user’s spoken or written natural language, making machines smarter and improving the ability to handle new situations. Instead of the user having to learn how to use the software, the interface learns what the user wants.
Gartner sees these interfaces as helping improve customer experience and effectiveness, while also reducing operating expenses and time spent learning computer semantics.
The Australian Government’s Digital Transformation Agency is working to broaden the usage of such interfaces throughout the public service through its own community of users.
4. EVENT STREAM PROCESSING (ESP)
ESP enables ‘continuous intelligence’ and other aspects of digital government, according to Gartner, which cites its ability to improve decision-making and make faster responses to threats and opportunities.
It sees ESP becoming increasingly important to the internet of things (IoT), customer experience management and fraud detection.
“Traditional analytics applies processing after the data is stored, but for an increasing number of situations, these insights are too late,” says SAS’s Fiona McNeill.
“Directly working with event data, when they happen, allows for faster reaction time – even influencing a situation before it’s over.”
5. SMART WORKSPACES
‘Smart’ workspaces benefit from the IoT’s growing digitalisation of physical objects, helping to deliver new ways of working, scheduling and collaborating, according to Gartner.
The impact for government and business includes improved employee productivity and enhanced citizen experiences as employees better use smart workspaces to serve clients.
Responding to such trends, the Australian Taxation Office has run a Future Workspace trial aimed at improving productivity, collaboration and wellbeing. The trial saw improved workplace satisfaction and enhanced social interactions, although functions such as hot-desking are seen as taking longer to implement in government compared to the private sector.
As Australia embraces the digital revolution, the public sector is also benefiting from the latest technology trends to help enhance the citizen-government experience.