Platform oesterreich.gv.at and App Digitales Amt

On the online platform oesterreich.gv.at citizens can access official channels digitally at any time and from any place. A comprehensive full text search across the portals the business service portalris.bka.gv.at and data.gv.at enables people to retrieve information about official matters centrally on their desktops or mobile devices. The content of the service help.gv.at was integrated completely into oesterreich.gv.at. Once you have signed in at oesterreich.gv.at, you can access many other administrative services via Single Sign-On, such as the business service portal or FinanzOnline.

In addition, the entire services from oesterreich.gv.at can be perfectly adapted to smartphones and tablets with the App "Digitales Amt". The App can be downloaded free-of-charge from the App-Stores. It includes access to current and future digital services offered by government authorities. The services can be used via ID Austria (FaceID and TouchID). Key administrative procedures have been identified based on the most common life situations, they are / will be offered digitally on the platform and via the App. A chatbot provides assistance on a number of topics, the service will be expanded continuously.

The project oesterreich.gv.at was implemented by the former Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Computing Centre (BRZ). In order to establish the newly digitalised official channels, the E-Government Act, the Reporting Act, the Personal Statute Act and the Passport Act had to be amended. On the technical side, the task was to renew Austrias e-Government infrastructure with a uniform content management for the federal government, new authentication solutions (FaceID and TouchID) and the improvement of all user interfaces for smartphones. Due to a new, modern content management system along with the preparation for the next level of electronic high-level security and the electronic proof of identity (eID), the platform is well prepared for the future.

Data protection according to the General Data Protection Regulation is ensured by the proven security of the ID Austria (eID), transparent data processing, full control over personal data and secure hosting in the Austrian Federal Computing Centre (BRZ).

Project Digital Administration

Digitalisation confronts the public administration with enormous challenges - but it also creates promising opportunities for the future when digitalisation will enable authorities to design administrative services and processes even more citizen- and business-oriented. The launch of the reform-project "Digital Public Administration" is a first step to enable the legal framework to incorporate the needs of the digital administration of the future.

The aim of "Digital Public Administration" is to map and offer digital administrative channels for citizens and businesses as thoroughly as possible. For this purpose, the entire planning is geared towards day-to-day citizens' situations, while the organisational logic and the existing competence structure of the authorities should stay in background. Focusing on these life situations, digitisation potentials for administrative services are developed along with a definition and creation of legal framework conditions for interdisciplinary processes. This administrative project combines technical, organisational as well as legal aspects and processes. "Digital Public Administration" creates both legal and organisational prerequisites for an integrated and secure digitalisation of the administration. This provides Austria with a reliable framework for the development, testing and implementation of electronic cross-administration processes.

The project will therefore, among other things, create legal prerequisites for the automated provision of evidence (e.g. trade licence, academic qualifications etc.) for the implementation of the "Once Only" principle. The exchange of information with ongoing digitalisation projects such as oesterreich.gv.at and usp.gv.at (business service portal) will be coordinated within the project. The regulations of new technologies - such as systems using artificial intelligence - will be further researched in public administration.

The focus of the project is a comprehensive approach across administrative authorities. With this in mind, a project structure that will ensure the involvement of all relevant stakeholders at federal, state and municipal level was setted up. It will jointly clarify where and in which way existing administrative regulations in Austria can be updated to be fit for digital opportunities ― so that the country can become a leading digital nation.

The project was started at the beginning of 2019 and will be implemented soon with a regulatory framework in accordance with project objectives as well as legal aspects.