States of Guernsey to bring more services online

The States of Guernsey is planning to bring more services online with the introduction of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform.

The government is working with digital transformation company EPAM to implement the ServiceNow platform and to provide "much needed" application support services for the Revenue Service, at a cost of about £5m.

Gé Drossaert, the States' chief digital and information officer, said the AI platform would "deliver the digital capabilities the island needs".

He said it would provide the digital foundation to enable further services to be brought online in future.

Mr Drossaert said ServiceNow was a well-established cloud-based AI-enhanced platform that automated processes, which was crucial for the needed digital transformation of States of Guernsey services.

"This will be a long-term project, as we will be starting with getting the digital foundations in place that gives us the capabilities we need to develop a roadmap to increasing over time the number of digital services we offer to the community," he added.

A States' spokesperson said the long-term aim was for islanders to be able to easily transact with public services online, for the completion of tax returns and online payments, as is possible now, but also for a variety of public services that would be added over time.

The new platform is said to be a key part of the States' Digital Strategy, which sets out plans for enhancing the security, accessibility and user experience of government services while increasing the efficiency of public service delivery.

A States spokesperson said both EPAM and ServiceNow were selected following a competitive tender process.

EPAM has also been contracted to provide "much needed" application support services for the Revenue Service, previously undertaken by Agilisys, the spokesperson said.

Balazs Fejes, president of global business and chief revenue officer at EPAM, said the company was "set to enhance the government's digital services, ensuring they are secure, accessible and user-friendly".

He said the firm would be launching an EPAM branch in Guernsey to give them a physical presence on the island, adding they would be looking to create employment opportunities locally.

Damian Stirrett, group vice president and general manager, UK and Ireland at ServiceNow, said the "collaboration will help deliver secure, accessible, and user-centric digital experiences for islanders".

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