A centre at the heart of digital governance

Codi is where all new applications are tested for security and efficiency before services are made accessible on phones.

Employees at the offices at the Centre of Digital Innovation, a government initiative within the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority that tests apps for security and functionality before their useShow more

DUBAI // Half a dozen employees work in a small corner of the TRA headquarters with the aim of keeping residents and their data safe as “smart government” is rolled out.

In 2013, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced the Smart Government initiative – a scheme to make public services accessible to residents using their smartphones.

The creation of the Centre of Digital Innovation (Codi) was included in the announcement. There, in addition to its mandate of promoting new technologies, government apps are tested for security and functionality before they reach the handsets of residents.

“We wanted entities to start talking the mobile language,” said Majid Al Madhloum, the centre’s director, describing government goals following the 2013 announcement.

“But we said there is something important, considering the conservative culture of the country. Both Emiratis and non-Emiratis have private information on their phones. Who was going to look after privacy and security?”

He said external testing did not come cheap and could run as high as US$15,000 (Dh55,000) per app.

While the centre performed six or seven tests per annum, a considerable amount of money was saved while developing human capital, Mr Al Madhloum said.

He said the testing process was entirely cloud-based for efficiency.

“They create their own accounts, upload their application files, and go through the testing process. We test for privacy, security, compatibility with different platforms and screen sizes. We also do performance and load testing,” he said.

A report is then created by the centre’s staff, highlighting any weaknesses and offering recommendations for improvement. A mark will be given whether it “passes”.

Once bugs are worked out, apps appear on the UAE App store, which is accessible on both Apple and Android operating systems.

Codi is also kept in the loop by developers for any changes, such as new features and version updates, he said.

Among the apps available on the UAE App Store are a human resources management app for Government employees, a Dubai Electricity and Water Authority app to pay bills, and a Ministry of the Interior app that allowed users to remotely access traffic and licensing, civil defence, police, and residency information and services.

Some apps garnered rave reviews, while others gave the impression that users did not have the best experience.

That is all part of the process, said Mr Al Madhloum. “This is a stepping stone, it’s not perfect but we fix things as we go. That’s how we work.”

Mr Al Madhloum acknowledged that modern tech trends can often become cliched.

“Many of the terms involved in this are considered buzzwords that are used publicly by everybody, such as ‘big data’ and ‘internet of things’,” he said.

Smart government is “when it works for you instead of you putting in effort to work for it”.

“‘Smart’ is not only technology orientated, it is a mindset, it is a way of thinking,” he said. “It is thinking outside the box and without limits. You start with an idea, refine it until it is ready to go to the market.”

He said the app available for Emirates Identity Authority services and an app making housing services available for UAE nationals were examples where smart government was working for residents.

On Tuesday, Younus Nasser, assistant director general of the Dubai Smart Government Office, delivered a keynote address during the opening day at Future Technology Week, where he made a hard sales pitch for smart government.

“Technology today can deliver citywide social happiness and as we transform Dubai into the world’s smartest city, the Smart Dubai blueprint will define smart city transformation,” he said.