Stockholm County Council extends contract for operation and support of Internet portal Vårdguiden

The Stockholm County Council has extended its general contract with Nocom to remain in effect for two more years. The contract pertains to technical operation and support for the Internet portal Vårdguiden, as well as the county council’s electronic catalog service EK and other similar applications. As with the previous two-year contract, it encompasses the provision of services and products at a value of approximately SEK 10 million. Collaboration between Nocom and the Stockholm County Council began in the first half of 2002 and was preceded by an open public tender. “In Nocom we’ve found a partner in operations that combines expertise and professionalism with the small firm’s nearness and flexibility,” says Lars Palmberg, project manager for Vårdguiden. “When we began collaboration, Vårdguiden on the Net had just started and was still under development. It was therefore important to find a service provider with the will and capacity to interact with our application suppliers." Vårdguiden (www.vardguiden.se) was launched two years ago and is the Stockholm County Council’s Internet portal for health and medical information. During 2002, the operating environment for Vårdguiden was established at Nocom’s hosting center in Solna. In June, a new version of Vårdguiden was launched, with new layout, several interactive services, improved navigation and expanded content. That the website was a successful investment is seen, not the least, in the increasing number of visitors. The latest measurements show 90,000 visitors per month. Visitors can now, among other things, communicate with their family doctor’s office, renew prescriptions and make appointments over the Internet. The requirements for security and secrecy are very high and equivalent to the level of security required by online banking. “We’re happy that the Stockholm County Council chose to extend their contract with Nocom. It’s proof that we amply fulfill their requirements for quality, accessibility and operational reliability,” says Joachim Orrblad, managing director at Nocom Drift. “We're looking forward to continued collaboration with the Stockholm County Council, which is a forerunner when it comes to medical information and service via the Internet. For more information, please contact: Joachim Orrblad, Managing Director, Nocom Drift cell: +46 708 66 10 11 e-mail: joachim.orrblad@nocom.se