The e-Governance Team under the Information Systems Division was set up in 2000, aiming to provide support for any initiative by the Government to simplify and expedite the process of governance by infusing Information/Communication Technology. The team now functions from C-DIT Regional Centre at Kayamkulam and also has a lab facility at C-DIT main campus.

C-DIT Regional Centre was set up to keep pace with the diversification activities of C-DIT. Sri M. M Hassan, the then Hon’ble Minister for Information and Parliamentary Affairs & Chairman, C-DIT formally inaugurated the Centre on December 23, 2003. The Centre is equipped with vast pool of human resources, in fact the largest concentration of human resources in C-DIT, and network all over Kerala, which includes 60 skilled personnel working in various projects.

The Centre has achieved tremendous growth during the five years since its inception. It gives thrust on providing technology inputs for local level development and in pragmatic implementation of e-governance projects in Kerala.

Deputy Director- Saji Narayanan.G
Team Leader, e-Governance : Vinod.N
Coordinator, e-Governance : Jayamohan.S

ACTIVITIES

C-DIT Regional Centre gives prime importance to conceiving development and successful commissioning, and continued sustenance with scaling up of e-Governance projects in Kerala.  The activities include:
•    System study
•    Software design and development
•    Hardware supply
•    Networking
•    Maintenance
•    24/7 online technical support
•    System administration
•    Developing and maintaining portals/websites
•    Setting up of touch screen kiosks
•    Consultancy work
•    ICT training etc.

ONGOING PROJECTS

• FRIENDS project (TSP)
• Akshaya e-Pay project (TSP)
• Oushadhi ERP consultancy project (Technical Consultancy)
• Video Conferencing- AMC project (Maintenance and management of VC equipments and sessionsKerala
• Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund Board Computerization
• Legal Metrology Computerization
• Social Security Mission Computerization
• Kerala Sahithya Academy Automation
• Implementing Video Conferencing Facility at KILA

 
FRIENDS
FRIENDS, a flagship e-Governance project of the Government of Kerala, is the premier project of the division. C-DIT has been functioning as the TSP for the project since its inception in 2000. The project has been selected as the best e-governance project at the national level. FRIENDS is a unique IT project taken up by the Government of Kerala, to disseminate the benefits of Information Technology to the day to day transactions of common man. It is a “Single Window Scheme” in which the consumer can pay for the common services rendered to him by the various Government departments/ agencies, under a single roof. FRIENDS project enters its tenth successful year of uninterrupted citizen service. It has been widely recognized as the best e-Governance project in the national level. The project bags 2006 CTO forum’s e-Governance excellence award. It has also been adjudged, by PCQuest, as one of the 10 best IT implementations of the country of the year 2006. FRIENDS Janasevanakendram, Thiruvananthapuram has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification for its citizen friendly services and quality standards. The technical support for the project is done from C-DIT Regional Centre, Kayamkulam.

The following payments can be made at FRIENDS:
•    Water charge
•    Electricity Bill
•    Payments due to Civil Supplies Department
•    Payments to Revenue Department
•    Payments to Local Bodies
•    Payments to Universities
•    Payments to BSNL (Land phone and postpaid mobile)
•    Payments to Motor Vehicles Department
•    Payments to Electrical Inspectorate

FRIENDS centres are located at all the 14 district headquarters of the State. C-DIT, as Total Solutions Provider, besides implementing and commissioning the project, provides database administration of the project, system and network administration, the entire software & hardware support, development and implementation of new services, supply of stationery and consumables.

The e-Governance Team’s achievements in FRIENDS include:

•    Working for the past 9 years without shutdown for a single day
•    Development and implementation of modules as per the requirements
•    Online data transfer with departments
•    Proper maintenance of hardware
•    Touch Screen Kiosk at Thiruvananthapuram FRIENDS Centre
•    Running a website for FRIENDS at www.friendscentre.net

Akshaya e-Pay Project

C-DIT has been engaged as the Total Solution Provider for the management of the Electronic Payment Gateway in Akshaya e- Kendras at Malappuram in 2005. With its success in the Akshaya e-Payment project in the Malappuram district, C-DIT has been engaged as the Total Service Provider for the management of the Electronic Payment Gateway in Akshaya e-Kendras for the entire statewide rollout of the project. The technical functioning of the entire statewide roll out of this e-Pay project is administered and monitored from C-DIT Regional Centre at Kayamkulam. At present the Regional Centre is providing a completely secure, efficient and interactive service of Management of an Electronic Payment Gateway for transactions involving payment collections through Akshaya e-Kendras in 8 districts – Malappuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikkode, Kannur and Kasaragod. The Centre manages  the e-Payment platform at the Internet domain e-kendra.org, which currently deals with almost 1000 entrepreneurs, and manages transactions @ Rs. 64 lakhs per day. C-DIT call centre set up at Kayamkulam provides online technical support to the project and to the Akshaya centre entrepreneurs, working 365 days, without any holidays, from 8 AM to 12 midnight.                          

Oushadhi ERP consultancy project

C-DIT Regional Centre has moved into the area of consultancy service. The centre has been engaged by the Pharmaceutical Corporation (IM) Kerala limited, Thrissur for providing technical consultancy in designing and implementing ERP at its factory and offices. C-DIT is providing all services required for designing the IT solution, conducting system study, preparing RFP, tenders, evaluating vendor, monitoring the implementation, etc.

VC AMC project

C-DIT has been entrusted with the work of maintenance and management of video conference equipments, systems & peripherals and network/link connectivity, MCU and Management of Video Conferencing Centres and sessions. This includes the maintenance of equipments at all District Collectorates, Kerala House New Delhi,  Secretariat, Public Office, Vikas Bhavan, Advocate General`s office and KSITM, coordinating the VC sessions with all the locations and also giving sufficient technical manpower support to the project.


IMPORTANT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN

       
SERVICES
•    Total Solution Provider
•    Software development
•    Hardware supply and Maintenance
•    Networking
•    24/7 online technical support
•    Developing and maintaining portals/websites
•    Setting up of touch screen kiosks
•    Technical Consultancy
•    Training in ICT sectors

SUCCESS STORIES/ MILESTONES

•    C-DIT has been functioning as the TSP for the FRIENDS project, since its inception in 2000, for the past 9 years without shutdown of any of the FRIENDS Janasevanakendrams even for a single day due to any technical problems.

•    With its success in the Akshaya e-Payment project in the Malappuram district, C-DIT has been engaged as the Total Service Provider for the management of the Electronic Payment Gateway in Akshaya e-Kendras for the entire statewide rollout of the project.