The Department is generally recognised as one of the leading users of information technology in Ireland. Successful use of technology is central to the secure and efficient delivery of services and payments to customers. To ensure continued success, the Department must work closely with its technology suppliers to ensure that maximum benefit is gained from its investments in this area. It must continuously assess new products to determine how technology will be deployed in the medium to long-term in order to meet business requirements. This process requires, inter alia, that pre-release, or “beta”, versions of products are evaluated – a practice that is widespread within the IT industry.
The advertisement in question was one of a series featuring different organisations that were investigating the product in its pre-release form. The Department's interest in the product relates to its possibilities in relation to improving the security of client data and in the context of technologies such as smart cards and digital certificates. The Department was not asked to endorse the product but simply to state why it was investigating it.
No payment or consideration of any kind was offered or sought.
