The Records365 software, Minister for Finance Simon Birmingham said, was designed specifically for records managers, creators, and information users within government. The upgrade comes as part of the government’s Digital Records Transformation Initiative, which is led by the Department of Finance with the goal of improving the productivity of the public sector through smart digital records management. “By modernising the way in which government services data is managed and recorded, more efficient and timely services can be provided for Australians,” Birmingham said. “The parliament and the public should have confidence that data is kept and managed appropriately through procurement of this software which will provide greater transparency and accountability.”  In a joint statement with Birmingham, Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said the RecordPoint software offers “tremendous” benefits to the DTA. “This local company has worked to modernise its solution by adopting machine learning, full text extraction and natural language processing to automate the process of records management, from creation to disposal,” Robert said. “It can apply records control to content no matter where it is stored – in network drives, email, and bespoke systems.” The Digital Records Transformation Initiative is a project under the APS Modernisation Fund. The Modernisation Fund, which, unveiled as part of the 2017 Budget, aims to support the transition of agencies to more “modern and sustainable operating models”. Finance received AU$89.5 million across three years to consolidate and streamline back-office corporate functions in the Australian Public Service (APS). It also received further funding in the latest federal Budget, although it was listed as not for publication due to commercial sensitivities. See also: There are 84 high-cost IT projects underway by the Australian government The federal government on Friday also released exposure draft legislation to support companies and their officers using technology to satisfy Corporations Act 2001 requirements. Specifically, the legislation will facilitate the use of technology in meetings, to execute company documents, and send meeting-related materials.  The reforms, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said, make permanent the temporary measures put in place during the pandemic relating to electronic execution of company documents and meeting notifications. Consultation on the legislation will close 16 July 2021. Over in Western Australia, the Department of Education this week awarded a contract to a new consortium called LIFT Alliance, which brings together Kinetic IT and ASG Group, valued at AU$500 million. Under the contract, Kinetic IT and ASG Group will provide “end-to-end” IT services including user experience, technical advice, solutions development, application management service, and infrastructure managed services. It forms part of a new IT operating model for the department. “With the LIFT Alliance, we have set the foundation for a modern and flexible partnership focused on our fundamental purpose – supporting the education of our kids,” Department of Education chief information officer David Dans said.

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