LINK Development launches new services via Twitter

The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water has announced that it has recently introduced an m-Environment service for its customers called 'm-Environment Self Service.'

The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water has thus become the first organization from both the private and public sectors to offer such service through a social media tool. The new service launched via Twitter will allow customers to receive automated responses in just 15 seconds based on specific commands without any human intervention from the Ministry.

In accordance with the m-Government directives of H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water responded in 2013 by building a full-fledged multi-channel communication framework, offering 112 services. The Ministry extended this framework in 2014 to not only include Native Mobile Applications, Mobile Portals and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) but also to communicate with customers over Twitter using automated smart services for the first time in the Middle East and the Arab region. The service through Twitter is an additional and vital medium for providing quick information about transactions without the need to log in to the Ministry's website or download an application.

The key features of the m-Environment Self Service includes Request Status, License Expiration Date, Guidance Initiation, and Service Inquiry. Users can check their request status, license expiration date, initiate a new request for veterinary or agricultural guidance, and enquire about the services offered by Ministry. They can also inquire about fees, documentations, and the duration to finalize the request. The service is targeted for individuals and business users who use Twitter and reflects the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water's adoption of modern technology to offer better services to its customers.

Saif Al Hattawi, Head of E-Services, UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, said: "We strongly support our wise leaders' vision of developing and implementing nationwide e-Government services in an endeavor to make the UAE a Smart Government. Our m-Government Self Service is a step forward in this direction and we are extremely delighted to be the first organization in the Middle East to offer this service via digital platform. Through our new initiative, we aim to enhance communication with the public via innovative social platforms to deliver advanced customer service round-the-clock. Social tools such as Twitter are highly powerful, convenient and quick mediums to stay connected and convey information and therefore, we have launched our first m-service through Twitter. Going ahead, we plan to introduce several other smart services that will enhance the quality of life of the people of the UAE."

The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water was one of the few achievers who were able to offer their services through an online platform and gradually via mobile applications in a very short period, where more than 100% per cent of services went live. The entire processes of 112 services and workflows were re-engineered during this transformation in order to compete globally on the service levels provided. Not only does it have native applications on the four main mobile and tablet platforms, including Android, iPhone, Windows and Blackberry, the Ministry's apps have reached Smart TVs as well.