Open Text and Linkhand to assist the Metropolitan Police in its mission to cut crime across London

Secure, electronic record management system to provide 24 hour access to a centralised, fully searchable database of archived case histories

Beaconsfield, UK - 1999-09-15 - A recent cost analysis by the Metropolitan Police estimates that £1.5m will be saved over 5 years in government funds and resources, by implementing a secure electronic management system to index and control all case files stored by the Registry. BASIS¹ from Open Text (NASDAQ:OTEX; TSE:OTC) will provide flexible access to a central repository of case files and other records, helping the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to deliver information which is timely and relevant.

Linkhand, a leading systems integrator, has developed a solution with Open Text to provide a powerful, searchable, highly scalable database to index the headline information of over 600,000 case files and other records - occupying over 9 miles of shelf space at the MPS file repository in West London.

"By using BASIS to index and control all the data currently stored at the Registry, the MPS will be able to provide its officers and support staff with a much faster and more efficient method of tracking down case papers which can often contain information that will help in new investigations," explained Alan Oakley, Chief Registrar and Departmental Record Officer.

"The new system will provide a more precise search result, ultimately enabling officers to investigate crimes more efficiently. It will also contribute towards achieving better value for money and improved accountability through good records management," Oakley continued.

Detailed indexing of case files


Phase one of the project will be to develop an in-depth index of all the case papers held on file - currently only referenced and searchable by basic information, such as the names of the people involved and type of crime. The new BASIS database will support more detailed search strings, producing more finely tuned results within a matter of seconds - significantly narrowing down the search result to only the relevant files.

"Under the current system, if an officer wishes to locate details relating to any existing case papers, he/she will need to contact a central enquiry office, open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (unless it is a major incident which requires urgent access). Even with a clearly defined search string, the current system doesn t always provide the searching capability to narrow down the files to only those that are relevant. Police can therefore waste time reviewing files that do not contain any relevant information," explained Alison Rix, IT project manager, Metropolitan Police Service.

Intranet-based access to the Registry database


Phase two of the project will be to develop a web-based application, using Open Text s Livelink, that will provide Met Police officers with 24 hour, online access to the new BASIS/Registry database. In the future, police officers working round the clock, regardless of location, will be able to search the new online database, via the MPS intranet - gaining immediate access to the index of existing case files and other records.

Officers will instantly be able to identify, locate and request any relevant files, overcoming the restrictions of the current Registry opening hours. As with BASIS, the use of Livelink will help to achieve the end objective of processing more crimes over a shorter period of time. It will also contribute to the MPS information systems vision to make appropriate and relevant information available to all staff, at any location, as an integral part of their working environment.

New government bill: Freedom of Information Act


Another key factor in the decision to introduce a new electronic management indexing system for MPS records, is in response to a recent government bill, outlining draft proposals for a Freedom of Information Act - shortly to be introduced into the parliamentary timetable.

The Freedom of Information Bill proposes that everyone should have a legal right to see information held by national, regional and local government as well as other organisations working on behalf of the government, including the police and police authorities.

The new database based on BASIS, which will ultimately be accessed via the MPS Intranet, will provide the Metropolitan Police with the flexibility to respond to any new government legislation by providing better access to its business records.

"The Metropolitan Police Records Management branch is an excellent flagship account for Open Text. The solution we have developed with Linkhand will enable us to demonstrate how BASIS and Livelink can be integrated to provide a very flexible and robust system. One that will not only provide the Met Police with the ability to respond to new government legislation, but will also assist in its mission to work towards a safer London ," concluded Derek Buchanan, country manager, UK, Ireland & Middle East, for Open Text.

¹ BASIS is a robust document database, which has been specifically engineered for strong document management control and high-throughput document search and retrieval.

About Linkhand

Linkhand is a recognised provider of integrated electronic document, workflow and e-commerce solutions. Based at London Bridge they have built up a client base of some 50 organisations using our solutions to automate and manage their business processes in order to improve customer service, competitive advantage and organisational productivity. Further information about the company, its solutions and services can be found at http://www.linkhand.com.

Linkhand/Open Text partnership

Linkhand has a long standing and very successful partnership with Open Text - it has a sizeable Livelink development team and is fast developing its BASIS experience. When this is complemented by Open Text s product specialists, it provides the basis for a low risk, optimum solution. Linkhand brings solution experience from the insurance and banking sector which is now being applied to Central and Local Government. Linkhand is totally committed to Open Text s culture of ensuring every client is referenceable.

Trademark

Note to Editors: Open Text and Livelink are trademarks of Open Text Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

For more information, please contact

Myriam McLoughlin
Account Manager
Grant Butler Coomber
(00 44) 0181 322 1922
myriamm@gbc.co.uk

Jill Wilkin
Marketing Director, Northern Europe
Open Text UK Ltd.
(00 44) 01494 679700
jwilkin@opentext.co.uk