TRA launches the first Regional m-Government Applications Lab

Abu Dhabi: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced the launch of the first m-Government Lab in the Arab region dedicated to verifying the quality and security of m-Government applications. The Lab will also test whether applications submitted comply with international standards and best practice. This innovative initiative comes as part of the wider national effort to shift towards smart government in line with the vision of Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. "The m-Government Lab is an innovative and unique regional project that ultimately, reinforces the UAE's leadership the field of m-Government. The importance of this laboratory lies in protecting both the users and government entities from security threats that might arise from unauthorised applications," commented Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, m-Government Initiative Director. "This technical centre, developed by the TRA, will be available to everybody. It is with great pride that we are at the heart of the provision of such a service given the importance of it to our colleagues in government entities. The launch of this lab certainly puts us one step closer to achieving the goals set out in the UAE m-Government initiative," he added. The m-Government lab contains state-of-the-art advanced operating systems designed specifically to testing smart applications. All the required software is in place and the specialist have already started testing operations for a variety of UAE government entities. Once completed, the lab will provide full security screening, load testing for applications and accounts for the government entities who wish to verify their applications remotely. Al Mansouri added that a number of government entities have already been briefed on the lab and its capabilities with a delegation of officials attending an m-Government workshop at the TRA in December. "The formation of this lab is significant and will play a central role in promoting a culture of quality and excellence within the sector. The progress made in this regard will also reinforce the UAE's leading position as a pioneer in adopting m-Government concepts and cutting edge practices," he added. In the same context, Meshal bin Hussain, aeCERT Operations Manager at the TRA said: "The m-Government Applications Lab is an integrated environment that enables the assessment of submitted government applications, both in terms of effectiveness and reliability. We encourage all government entities and institutions to send the applications they are developing in order to guarantee the quality of the program meets the highest of industry standards." "This lab serves as a cloud service we provide to government entities, universities, and all concerned parties. We will receive applications developed by these entities and perform an automatic testing and if these applications passed these tests, they will undergo the manual testing process to assess its strength taking into account the ease of use, security and many other important functions. In the near future, we will hold special workshops for government entities to further introduce them to the lab and its features and mechanisms," he added. - Emirates News Agency, WAM