Details from the Estonian government of their e-everything

1. e-EstoniaThe Digital Society

2. e-EstoniaThe Digital Society

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contents
e-Estonia / The Digital Society
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Estonia - The Ground Where Future Walks On / pg 6-11 / Estonian e-Services - In a Relationship with
Simplicity / pg 12-27 / Society of e-Solutions / pg 15 / Citizens / pg 15 / Government / pg 16-17 /
Education / pg 18 / Healthcare / pg 18-19 / Business / pg 19-20 / Telecommunication / pg 21-22 /
Law Enforcement and e-Police / pg 22 / Cybersecurity / pg 23-24 / Utilities / pg 25-27 / Estonian ICT
Demo Center - Chamber of Wonders / pg 28-31 / Estonian Information and Telecommunication Export
Cluster - Where Builders of Marvels Come Together / pg 32-36 / Estonian ICT Export Cluster / pg 35 /
Contacts / pg 35 /
estonia in facts
location
Northeastern Europe
(southern shore of the Gulf of Finland)
population 1.3 million
language Estonian
size 45 227 km2
capital city Tallinn
currency Euro
government Parliamentary democracy
member of European Union, NATO, WTO, OECD

4. Estonia
The Ground Where
Future Walks On

5. Life in the Digital Society
E-Estonia means casting a ballot from the comfort of your own living room. It means filing your
income tax return in just five minutes or signing a legally-binding contract over the Internet from
anywhere in the world via your mobile phone. These are just a few of the services that Estonians
take advantage of on a regular basis.
Entrepreneurs can register businesses in as little as 20 minutes, check vital company, property and le-
gal records online, and even integrate their own secure services with the ones offered by the state.
Interaction among government agencies, and between the government and citizens, has been
completely transformed in e-Estonia, quickly making bureaucracy a thing of the past.
Estonia’s e-Solutions
Have Resulted in:
» An unprecedented level of
transparency and accessibility
in government
» Safe, convenient and flexible
exchange of private, government
and corporate data
» A healthier, better educated
population with an easy access to
social services
» A prosperous environment for
business and entrepreneurship
Digital Society and Infrastructure
The e-Estonia digital society is made possible largely due to its
infrastructure. Instead of developing a single, all-encompassing
central system, Estonia created an open, decentralized system
that links together various services and databases.
The flexibility provided by this open set-up has allowed new
components of digital society to be developed and added
through the years. That power to expand has allowed Estonia
to grow into one of Europe’s success stories of the last decade.
Principles Behind Digital Foundation
» Decentralization
There’s no central database and every stakeholder,
be it a government department, a ministry or a business,
gets to choose its own system in its own time.
» Interconnectivity
All the elements in the system must be able to work
together smoothly.
» Open platform
Any institution can use the infrastructure.
» Open-ended process
A continuous project which keeps growing and
improving organically.
» Infrastructure
A flexible and open system linking together
various databases.
Inspired by Information
Estonia is an incredible success story grown out of
a partnership between a forward-thinking govern-
ment, a pro-active ICT sector and a switched-on,
tech-savvy population. The success of Estonia
stems from its role as an insightful and courageous
implementer of new ideas and technologies.
An idea in itself is never enough, no matter how
dazzling a potential it carries. An idea needs to be
employed in order to foster public interaction and
living conditions on a truly large scale.
Through the wide range of state procurements,
the companies from the Estonian ICT Export
Cluster have done exactly that - they have built
up the spectacular e-Estonia as we know it.
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e-Estonia / The Digital Society

6. Recent developments in e-Estonia
Estonia has by far the most highly-developed
ID card system in the world, providing access
to a range of online services
In 2005, Estonia became the first country in history to
make internet voting available in a nationwide election
In 2012, 99% of bank transfers
were performed electronically
In 2012, more than 50% of drivers in downtown Tallinn
paid for their parking via mobile phone.
In 2013, 95% of tax returns
were filed via the e-Tax Board
In the 2011 Parliamentary elections,
24.3 % of votes were cast over the internet
Did you know that...
» Estonia has become a hotbed of software innovation.
Amongst other groundbreaking solutions, Skype was
developed here
» Tallinn is home to NATO’s Cyber Defense Centre
of Excellence
» In 2012 European IT Agency opened doors in Tallinn
Internet in 2013:
» free Wi-Fi is widespread in urban areas,
particularly in Tallinn, which has been named
among the top ten cities on the globe for
Wi-Fi convenience
» 100% of schools and government
organizations have broadband connection
» 3/4 of the population have a computer at home
» 75% of homes have broadband connection
» various 3G and 4G networks available
anywhere across the country
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e-Estonia / The Digital Society

7. Estonian e-Services
In a Relationship
with Simplicity

8. Key Elements of
e-Estonia’s Infrastructure
Electronic ID Card
Estonia has the most highly-developed national ID card system in the world. Much more than simply a legal picture ID,
this mandatory national card (from the age 15 onwards) serves as a digital access card for every secure e-service in
Estonia. The chip on the card carries embedded files which, using 2048-bit public key encryption, enable it to be used
as definitive proof of ID in an electronic environment.
The electronic ID Card was introduced in 2002 and by
2013 more than 92% of the Estonian residents were car-
rying one.
ID Card is Regularly Used:
» As a national ID card for legal travel within the EU
and Schengen Area
» As a national health insurance card
» As proof of identification when logging into bank
accounts from a home computer
» As a customer loyalty card
» For digital signatures
» For i-Voting
» For accessing government databases to check one’s
medical records, to file taxes, etc.
» For picking up e-Prescriptions
Mobile-ID
Mobile-ID is a service that allows to use your mobile phone
as a form of secure electronic ID.
Like the ID Card, it can be used for accessing secure
e-services and digitally signing documents, but with the
advantage of not requiring a card reader. The system is
based on a specialized Mobile-ID SIM card attainable
from the mobile phone operator. Private keys are stored
on the mobile SIM card along with a small application for
authentication and signing.
X-Road
The Backbone of e-Estonia
The X-Road is a critical tool, one of the key ingredients in
e-Estonia’s infrastructure that connects all the decentralized
components of the system together. It’s the environment
that allows the nation’s various e-services and databases,
both in the public and private sector, to link up and operate
in harmony no matter what platform they use.
Architecture:
» Distributed architecture without a centralized controller
» Every government agency or business can choose
the e-service that’s right for them
» Services can be added one at a time, as they are ready
Society of e-Solutions
Citizens
State e-Services Portal
The State Portal eesti.ee is a website that acts as a one-stop-shop for
the hundreds of e-services offered by various government institutions.
The portal is divided into different sections – one for citizens, one for
entrepreneurs, and one for officials – making it easy for the user to find
the service he is looking for.
Once logged into the system with an electronic ID, the user does not have
to repeat the log in when accessing different services. The site also creates
awareness of other e-services available, as visitors will discover new
options whilst browsing through it.
X-Road is the all-important connection between the
e-services, the tool allowing them to work together
for maximum impact.
All Estonian e-solutions which need to interact with
multiple other databases systems use X-Road.
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9. Government
e-Cabinet
E-Cabinet is a multi-user database and a scheduler that
keeps relevant information organized and updated in real
time, while offering ministers a clear overview of each
item under discussion.
Once Estonia adopted its e-Cabinet system, the average
length of the weekly cabinet meetings was cut from 4-5
hours to just 30-90 minutes. Not only can ministers take
part remotely, but the government has also eliminated the
need to print and deliver thousands of pages of documents
each week.
i-Voting
I-Voting is a system that allows voters to cast their ballots
from any internet-connected computer from anywhere in
the world.
Unrelated to the electronic voting systems used elsewhere
which often involve costly and problematic machinery, the
Estonian solution is simple, elegant and secure. In 2005,
Estonia became the first nation in history to offer internet
voting in a nationwide election.
The groundbreaking i-Voting system allows citizens to
vote at their convenience, no matter how far they are from
a polling station. As an added benefit, making the process
easy and accessible increases voter turnout. Already in
2007, Estonia made headlines as the first country to use
i-Voting in Parliamentary elections. In the 2011 Parliamentary
elections, 24.3 % of voters cast their ballots via the
i-Voting system.
e-Tax
E-Tax is the electronic tax filing system set up by the Estonian
Tax and Customs Board.
Since its introduction in 2000, it has drastically reduced
the time spent by individuals and entrepreneurs on filing
taxes. In 2002, the system matured tremendously with
automated tax declaration forms.
Using a secure ID, a taxpayer logs into the system, reviews
his data in the pre-filled forms, makes necessary changes,
and approves the document with a digital signature. The
process typically takes five minutes and when filed electroni-
cally, the taxpayer obtains his tax refund in about five days.
In 2013, 95% of tax returns were filed electronically.
Electronic Land Register
Electronic Land Register is a one-of-a-kind web application
containing information on all ownership relationships
concerning real estates and land parcels.
As a critical tool for the real estate market, it provides total
transparency whilst listing the registered owner of each
property holding together with the latter’s boundaries, and
provides other necessary information that potential buyers
need to obtain.
e-Customs
e- Customs is a fully automated information system of the
Estonian Tax and Customs Board‘s that connects traders
with customs over the Internet.
e-Customs has saved Estonia considerable amounts of
money each year. Declarations take less time now and any
inaccuracies can be corrected before the data is submitted,
lessening the need for customs supervision.
Electronic
Land Register
containes:
» Cadastral information - address,
area, purpose of land
» Ownership relations
» Encumbrances, restrictions, rights of use,
other notations
» Mortgage information
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10. Fully electronic declarations processed in real time, less required
documents and the reduction of traders’ and customs’ costs
earned Estonia the 4th position on World Bank list of countries
where trading across borders is easy.
Education
e-School
E-School has revolutionized the way students, teachers and
parents interact.
Estonia has revolutionized the way an education is administered
and has helped to create a generation that is both better edu-
cated and tech-savvy. In 2013, over 85% of schools were using
e-School, covering about 95% of all grade school students. In
addition, the innovation of education incorporates everyday
iPad usage into regular school work, helping youngsters to grasp
the functions of touch screen technology at an early age. Apart
from becoming technologically capable, the new generation of
students are right now building the basis for a a new paradigm
of a more personal and integrated form of studying when it
comes to either their fellow students or the lessons being
covered.
In autumn 2011, an application for all the necessary study
materials was launched for e-School, making all the textbooks
and exercise books accessible from all over the world.
Functions:
Teachers enter grades and attendance information into
the system, post homework assignments and evaluate
student behavior. They also use it to send messages to
parents, students or to an entire class.
Parents use it to stay closely involved in their children’s
education. They can see their children’s homework
assignments, grades, attendance information and teach-
er’s notes, as well as communicate directly with teachers
via the system.
Students can read their own grades and keep track of
their homework assignments on a daily basis. They can
also keep their best work in personal e-portfolios.
District administrators have access to the latest statisti-
cal reports on demand, making it easy to consolidate data
across the district’s schools.
Healthcare
e-Prescription
E-Prescription is a centralized, paperless system for issuing
and handling medical prescriptions.
The efficient system to which every hospital and pharmacy
in Estonia is connected, cuts down on paperwork and
doctor visits, and saves an untold amount of time and effort.
Doctors prescribe medicine electronically and at the
pharmacy, all a patient needs to do, is present an ID Card.
The pharmacist then retrieves the patient’s information
from the system and fills the prescription.
Electronic Health Record
Electronic Health Record is a nationwide system that
integrates data from Estonia’s different healthcare providers,
creating a common record for each patient.
It’s a powerful tool for doctors, granting them easy access
to patient records from a single electronic file. Doctors can
read test results as soon as they are entered, including
image files such as X-rays. In case of emergencies, doctors
can use a patient’s ID Card to read time-critical information.
Patients have access to their own records, as well as those
of their children. By logging into the Patient Portal (with an
ID Card), they can review their past doctor visits and current
prescriptions, control which doctors have access to their
files, and even receive general health advice.
Advantages of DigiDoc:
» No need to send paper documents, saves time
and courier costs
» Lower environmental impact
» Documents remain private
» Documents can be signed from every corner of
the world via mobile phone
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Business
Digital Signature
Digital ID, one of the world’s most advanced digital signature
systems, is the nationally standardized system for verifying a
person’s identity in an online environment. It opens the door
to all secure e-services while maintaining the highest level
of security and trust. One can digitally sign documents either
with an ID Card or the Mobile-ID.

11. In March 2000, a law was passed in the Parliament giving
electronic signatures the same legal weight with the tradi-
tional paper signatures. Thus, the nation’s groundbreaking
electronic ID infrastructure has created an effective and
universal system for secure identification.
Estonia’s digital signature system has paved the way for some
of its most useful e-services, including Company Registration
Portal, the i-Voting system, electronic tax filing and DigiDoc.
DigiDoc
DigiDoc is a system for storing, sharing and digitally signing
documents.
After logging into the DigiDoc system (with an ID Card
or Mobile-ID), the user can upload any document, sign it
digitally and forward it to other parties. Any type of file can be
entered for signature – a word processing document, a photo
or even an instant messaging chat; voice recordings can
be uploaded by phone.
Every time users log on, they see their uploaded files as
well as those they have signed. DigiDoc utilizes the robust
public key encryption of the Estonian ID Card and Mobile-ID,
and meets the EU’s strictest standards of security.
DigiDoc Client is a MS Windows application for creating
and verifying digitally signed files. The proof of validity
of the signer’s certificate is obtained at the time of
signature creature and DigiDoc Client verifies the digitally
signed file automatically on opening.
e-Business Register
Transparent e-Business Register provides actual and adequate
online information on all profit and nonprofit organizations,
including political parties, and on persons related to any
business activities. Thousands from banks up to law
enforcement, or just citizens, use the services of e-Business
Register at any moment of the day. When in need to find
a business partner, to check a company’s income report or
credibility, to confirm a role of a chairman or a shareholder,
or to find links of people on the basis of companies - one
can just turn to the Business Register online.
You can register a company over the internet just in
minutes and do any needed procedures (change, merge,
reporting, etc.) over the internet using digital signatures
and ID technology.
Outstanding Features of e-Business Register:
» entirely paperless institution
» e-services are offered for any related needs
» public institutions can’t ask registering documents
from companies - the screen is the law
» annual reports and other documents may be
delivered to the Registry only in electronic way,
through the e-Business Register
» all the information is public
E-Business Register guarantees clean and honest business-
environment providing reliable information and effective
e-services for everybody - public institutions, companies
and individuals.
Telecommunication
Mobile Payment
Mobile Payment is a feature that allows customers to pay
for goods and services using their mobile phones in place
of credit cards. The system can also be used for payments
on public transport, in shops and pubs, and for buying
products from vending machines. Typically, the client dials
the mobile payment service number, and enters the merchant’s
code and the amount of the payment or the product code.
The bank then transfers money to the merchant’s account
within three days, charging a service fee.
At the end of the month, the mobile payment bill is displayed
separately on the client’s phone bill.
m-Parking
Mobile Parking (m-Parking) is a convenient system that lets
drivers pay for their city parking using their mobile phones.
On parking, the majority of drivers use an application on
their phone or sometimes still send an SMS with the park-
ing zone’s code to the system’s operator. If the police check
the vehicle’s registration number in their database, they
will see that parking has been paid for. On leaving, the
driver can once again use the application or make a short
call to the operator.
At the end of the month, the cost of parking is added
to the driver’s mobile phone bill.
Location-Based Services
Location-Based Service (LBS) is any service that can determine
the location of a mobile device and provide information based
on that location. Estonia’s most impressive development in LBS
has taken place in the area of positioning services.
In 2000, Estonia made headlines by pioneering a system
that can instantly pinpoint the location of any GSM mobile
phone that is used to make an emergency call. The system
has become an invaluable tool for Estonia’s rescue workers
who would otherwise have trouble locating victims calling
from remote areas.
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12. LBS systems also provide location data for several geographical
information systems (GIS) which deliver visual representa-
tions of the database information on a map. GIS systems
give the user an easy-to-see overview of the information,
all the while keeping all vital details available at the click
of a mouse.
Law Enforcement
and e-Police
Best Possible Communication
E-Police system involves two main tools: a mobile workstation
installed in each patrol car, and a positioning system that
shows the location and status of every officer to the head-
quarters.
Every patrol car in the country is equipped with a mobile
workstation that provides officers with instant access to
multiple key databases. That means they’ll not only see
criminal records, but also relevant information from the
State Registry of Service and Civil Weapons, the Motor
Vehicle Registration Centre, the Traffic Insurance Fund and
the Population Register – all arriving in just two seconds.
The positioning system gives the command center real-
time information on the location and status of every patrol
car. Also, a separate positioning system allows the police
to quickly pinpoint the origin of an emergency call made
from a mobile phone – a crucial necessity when dispatching
rescue services to remote areas.
Law enforcement institutions are well equipped with crime
analysis tools which are effectively used in public registers
and police databases. As a result, more crime schemes are
defined, more criminals convicted and the sophisticated
Register of Prisons and Prisoners is kept up-to-date.
Cybersecurity
Digital societies are built on security and trust. With heavy
investments in its cybersecurity infrastructure, Estonia has
developed extensive expertise in that area, becoming one
of the most recognized and valued cybersecurity experts
internationally.
The Estonian Information System’s Authority (EISA) helps
organizations from private and public sector to maintain
the security of their information systems, whereas the
Department of Critical Information Infrastructure Protec-
tion (CIIP) evaluates the security of information systems in
Estonia and carries out risk assessments.
The Computer Emergency Response Team Estonia (CERT-EE)
handles security incidents within the .ee domain. The team
is engaged any time there is a cyber-attack against Internet
sites or services in Estonia, or when a malware infection is
spreading from Estonian computers. In latter case, the team
also has the capability and skills to reverse-engineer the
malware. CERT played a central role in successful cyber
defence in 2007, when Estonia experienced massive
cyber attacks.
Estonia is also home to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence
Center of Excellence (CCDCoE). The country serves as an
international NATO Competence Center, providing the members
and partners of NATO with cybersecurity expertise, edu-
cational and training resources, and assistance in policy
development. Estonia was specifically chosen as the site
for the CCDCoE due to its expertise in the areas of cyber-
security and e-government.
Estonia’s achievements in cybersecurity have benefited
from a strong IT partnership between the public and private
sector. This unique spirit of cooperation created the Cyber
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Defence League – a volunteer organization tasked with
assisting the nation during a cyber-attack. The Cyber Defence
League comprises IT security experts, software developers,
legal professionals, and management specialists from the
nation’s top IT companies, banks, Internet Service Providers,
and defense forces.
The key to Estonia’s cybersecurity lies in the safety and
security inherent in every e-Government and IT infra-
structure system engineered in Estonia. The secure 2048-bit
encryption that powers the country’s electronic ID, digital
signatures, and systems connected to the X-Road data
exchange layer guarantees unparalleled protection for
personal identity and personal data in e-Estonia.
The S4A Intrusion Detection System
S4A relies on a nation-wide network of sensors designed
to monitor threat situations in multiple organizations over
the Internet. By providing organizations of any size with
purpose-built hardware and software to detect network
intrusions, S4A is helping network administrators to identify
infected computers, while CERT-EE provides assistance with
the containment and cleaning up of the source of the attack.
Virtual Situation Room
Estonian Virtual Situation Room supports people in making
decisions concerning the anticipation, avoidance, withstanding,
minimization and recovery from the effects of man-made
or natural disasters.
The Virtual Situation Room collects and visualizes data about
critical services such as electricity, communications, and
water supply, thereby providing real-time information crucial
for the making of informed decisions and allocating the
necessary resources during critical situations.
Utilities
Saving Energy for a Cleaner Environment
Estonia’s active climate for innovation has led to the
development of clever tools for the utilities and
intelligent homes industries. These not only allow energy
providers to serve their customers better, but give
homeowners more options for savings and result in a
cleaner environment.
Using technologies developed in Estonia, electricity
providers can take a holistic approach to customer care,
since the smart meters allow them to monitor each
customer’s consumption on an hourly basis. Then, by
logging into a web-based interface, the customers can in
turn see their detailed metering results and adjust their
usage accordingly.
Working Hand in Hand
The system controlling the smart metering and customer
interface is also linked to the utility company’s billing,
saving the company time and money, and further reducing
environmental impact.
Additionally, the utilities systems have the capacity to
work together with intelligent homes and buildings sys-
tems, allowing them to operate more efficiently.
Estonian intelligent buildings systems, which allow users
to monitor and control vital functions of the building such
as heating, lighting and security, are fully integrated and
rely less on expensive hardware for their interfaces. The
use of such systems results in 30-50% energy savings
over the lifetime of a building.

14. Smart Grid and Energy Sector
Benefiting distributors, consumers and our environment,
Estonian entrepreneurs and software developers have created
smart metering and billing management software which
allows end users to monitor their consumption in real time,
compare the various packages available and even choose
how much of their energy will come from renewable
sources. The system can predict when an area’s electricity
supply is likely to be strained, and automatically forward
customers instant bonus offers for cutting their consumption
during those times, thereby smoothing peaks and troughs
in the local grid.
Local innovators have also taken a new approach to smart
homes, developing systems that integrate electrical, heating
and security systems to a level not seen elsewhere.
These systems are designed to maximize energy efficiency,
which saves the homeowner money and is much friendlier
on the environment than older methods of home management.
Kelvingi village on the north coast of Estonia is already
equipped with Smart Grid technologies enabling better
real-time energy consumption management and creating
possibilities for partial energy autonomy from the central
electrical grid. With the help of real-time consumption
monitoring and prognosis (the energy consumption is
measured on an hourly basis), it is possible to save up to
25% on the energy bill. The Smart Grid enables to integrate
the micro wind and solar power generators into the system
and allows to take part in power trading with one’s neighbours.
Smart Grid supports the strategy for a future low-carbon
society and will be accessible to the entire country by 2016.
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Social Security and Welfare
Accessing the system through the State Portal, an individual
can apply for maternity benefits or a worker’s disability
compensation without leaving home.
Whereas earlier, an applicant would have visited a number
of different offices to collect various documents proving
their eligibility, then now, records from hospitals, the health
insurance fund and other institutions are integrated via
X-Road, eliminating the applicant’s need to visit those
institutions in person.
Population Register
Population Register is the state’s database for holding
basic information about each person living in Estonia.
It contains the names, ID codes, birth dates, places of
residence and other statistical data (nationality, native
language, education and profession) of every resident.
Each resident can in turn review and correct his data in
the registry.
X-Road connects the register to other systems, so when
a person applies for childbirth or study allowances, or
discounted tickets on public transport, data is retrieved
from the Population Register.

15. Estonian ICT Demo Center
Chamber of
Wonders

16. » Community of ICT companies
aiming for wider usage of
IT services
» Platform for international
ICT cooperation
» Non-profit, funded by members
The Place to See
Estonian ICT in Action
ICT Demo Center’s purpose is to showcase the nation’s ICT solutions all in one
facility, to illustrate their usage possibilities both in private and public sector and
to provide visitors with hands-on examples of what they are and how they work.
The center is an environment for introducing information and telecommunication
technologies in Estonia and on an international scale. It promotes the cooperation
between the members in the field of participation in ICT solution product develop-
ment and joint procurements. Estonian ICT Demo Center is one of the main forces
standing behind increasing the marketing and sales capability of the Estonian ICT
companies at the international level.
Since opening its doors in 2009, the bustling center has hosted everyone from
presidents and ministers to CEOs and journalists – essentially anyone who has
needed a better understanding of the technology developed and used.
Outline of Estonian ICT Demo Center
Enterprise Area
set up as a real company with a salesman, accountant and
various managers, to demonstrate systems designed
for use in business
Home Environment
includes existing ICT solutions for households
State section
e-government solutions explained
School Environment
shows IT usage in the teaching process
DIGITAL PARK
highlighting remote solutions and communication options
Technical Playground
designed to show ICT technological solutions to CEOs
and other specialists
More information on the
Estonian ICT Demo Center
can be found at
www.e-estonia.com
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17. Estonian ICT Cluster’s
Where Builders of
Marvels Come
Together

18. Estonian ICT Export Cluster
Promoting the Knowledge
Began in 2010 and supported chiefly by Enterprise Estonia and Tallinn Enterprise Board, the ICT Export Cluster is a
three-year project for exporting the groundbreaking e-solutions that have been developed and implemented in Estonia.
The cluster is made up of the core companies that made the e-Estonia phenomenon possible. Its aim is to share the
innovative, cost-effective technologies that have transformed Estonia into the leading e-society that it is today, allowing
other governments, communities and private companies to benefit from them.
Estonian ICT Cluster
The main goal of the Estonian ICT Cluster is to promote cooperation
among ICT companies and other economic branches. Through this,
its aim is to foster the development of new solutions and the creation
of new products, and to improve the companies’ competitive ability
in the international market.
Estonian ICT export cluster
» supported by Enterprise Estonia
and Tallinn Enterprise Board
» based in ICT Demo Center
Lõõtsa 8, 11415 Tallinn, Estonia
Overall information
about the cluster can be found at
www.e-estonia.com
The key activities of the cluster’s are:
» Conducting research and analyses
» Developing cooperation between partner companies and universites
» Participating in conferences and organizing joint visits to foreign markets
to promote information society development and e-Estonia brand
» Addressing the topics of ICT education (forecasting the need for
workforce, contributing to the development of curricula, handling
foreign workforce opportunities)
» Organising the field’s marketing and communication activities, joint
marketing of the field
» Organising cooperation seminars, workshops and think tanks with
other economic branches
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NATURE OF CLUSTER
If the companies of the same or similar field of activity perceive the need to act jointly and
this leads to the specification of common objectives, planning and implementation of com-
mon activities, a cluster is born.
In a cluster, cooperation exists between people, not between organizations or institutions.
Which means that the common interests of cluster parties outweigh the aspect of competition.
Ignoring the Impossible
Estonia as an e-country is well and widely known. Skype has its origins here, as well
as many other wonderful ICT and e-government solutions. The majority of these
solutions have been developed by the private sector, down to the software for
the cabinet meetings of the Ministers.
The common denominator for Estonian ICT companies is their efficiency, creativity
and the ability to ignore the concept of impossible. These ICT companies are
experienced in providing sophisticated e-government and other IT solutions not
only for the Estonian state and local governments but for organizations around
the world. There is a heightened interest and a growing demand for e-ID and
X-Road solutions as these are more flexible and readily adaptable to the rigors of
planning and the whims of politics.
Estonian ICT cluster
» supported by European Regional
Development Fund and members
of the Estonian ICT Association
» based in Lõõtsa 6,
11415 Tallinn, Estonia

19. e-Estonia / The Digital Society
WhatCanWe
Do for You?
Thriving on the visionary power of the Estonian ICT
companies, the ICT Demo Center stands as a gateway
for the Estonian ICT know-how to anywhere in the
world. We are experienced in implementing ideas
according to the needs of a specific sector, field or an
entire country.
If you are holding an idea in your hands, an idea which
almost sounds too extravagant or unthinkable to be put
into practice, then the Estonian ICT Demo Center has
the exact knowledge on how to employ it.
We’ll make your ideas sound.
Feel Free to Contact Us!
P +372 641 7614 E info@demoestonia.com
timeline
2000 launch of e-Tax Board
2000 launch of m-Parking
2001 X-road
2002 ID Card
2003 launch of ID bus ticket
2005 i-Voting introduced
2007 launch of Mobile-ID
2007 launch of e-Police system
2008 launch of e-Health system
2010 launch of e-Prescription
2011 launch of Smart Grid

20. e-estonia.com