''Top of the Web'' is the title of the comparative survey annually undertaken by the European Commission between March and November, on the use and users of a common list of public e-services in the European Union of 15 members.
Below is a summary of main conclusions from the survey carried out in 2004:
Usage and Adoption Percentage1
- Adoption percentages stand between 30% and 40% for some reference services; the percentage of these services found on the front line is from 5% to 10%;
- The first usage indicators also reveal major potential for the development of services, and an increased percentage for adoption and the value of these services for users;
- The main reason to develop these services is to improve service quality.
Value of Services
- Users recognise that the usage of e-services reduces the time needed to carry out the service;
- More than 80% saved time by using electronic services;
- The average time saved by citizens is 69 minutes;
- The average time saved by companies is 61 minutes;
- The electronic declaration of VAT saved the European Union (15) companies more than € 13,300,000 in 2003;
- Electronic declarations for tax reasons enabled EU (15) citizens to save more than 7,300,000 hours in 2003.
Overall Evaluation
- 62% of all users are very satisfied with the e-services;
- Less than 10% are dissatisfied with the public e-services;
- 77% of all users would recommend the service to other citizens or companies.
Usability Problems
- Usability is also an important issue as regards improving the quality of public e-services;
- The inability to find a given service is a very common problem.
Service Improvements
- Effective service improvements, not those merely resulting from the convenience of having online service available, are only mentioned by from 30% to 40% of users;
- For citizens, the main action to take to add value to services is to make them more accessible and easy to use, providing better assistance for using the service;
- For companies, the main action to take to add value to services is to make them easier to find and to offer effective savings.
The 10 participating national entities, among them ANACOM via the set of services provided by its Online Services, presented 19 e-services and obtained the survey’s highest response rates.
The overall evaluation by users of ANACOM’s Online Services was 82%, a figures that coincides with the European average for the provision of services to companies. The main reasons indicated vis-à-vis the Online Services preference basically concern the saving of time and money, as well as a faster process throughout.
Of the categories under review, the following reference services stand out as good practices:
- To report income Tax - http://www.elster.dehttp://www.elster.de
- To report VAT - http://www.toldskat.dkhttp://www.toldskat.dk
- To register a new business - http://www.cameradicommercio.ithttp://www.cameradicommercio.it
- Public procurement - http://www.etenders.gov.iehttp://www.etenders.gov.ie
- Public Libraries - http://www.stadtbibliothek.wien.athttp://www.stadtbibliothek.wien.at
- Universities - http://www.uned.es/webuned/home.htmhttp://www.uned.es/webuned/home.htm
1 Adoption Percentage: number of users who use online services compared to those using the classic processes.
Further information:
- Top of the Web http://www.topoftheweb.net
- Sociedade da Informação - Novo endereço http://europa.eu.int/information_society/index_en.htm
- Comissão Eu/eEurope2005 http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/2005/index_en.htm
