Secapp is used for two different purposes in the Finnish Tax Administration. Firstly, it enables fast and efficient communication to the entire staff. Secondly, Secapp ensures communication between smaller groups, for example, to maintain a situational picture related to disruption management.
In the Finnish Tax Administration, Secapp is primarily used on mobile devices, but Secapp messages can also be sent as text messages, emails, and voice messages depending on the target group, according to Kai Perikangas, Deputy Director of Security and Risk Management at the Finnish Tax Administration.
Secapp supports the other internal communication channels of the Finnish Tax Administration and brings certainty to messages being delivered. The two-way communication and response features of Secapp have improved information flow and kept different people and groups up to date with the situation.
The deployment of Secapp was driven by two needs: ensuring that information is delivered to the entire staff reliably and in a trustworthy manner, as well as managing disruptive situations.
“During the competitive bidding technical and functional features were defined, to which Secapp’s scalability, adaptability and development were the best match”, Perikangas explains the reasons for the acquisition.
The Finnish Tax Administration has been satisfied with the acquisition – the use of Secapp has met the expectations set for it. Perikangas also thanks Secapp for its flexibility and investment in continuous development.
“It has also been a pleasure to notice that Secapp has invested in product development. The product is versatile and it has gained additional features”
-Some customizations have been made to meet our needs, and they have been effortlessly implemented in cooperation with Secapp. It has also been a pleasure to notice that Secapp has invested in product development. The product is versatile and it has gained additional features: we have not even had the time to utilize all of them yet.
The implementation plan was made in cooperation with Secapp, and the cooperation has been active and focused on user needs. It is always important to allocate sufficient time for the implementation of a system, and this was well considered.
“We have received versatile support and training for the main users, as well as support for training the entire staff, for example in creating instructional materials. We have always received help, and our feedback has been listened to from a development perspective. For example, the usability of Secapp has evidently become more clear thanks to continuous product development”, Perikangas praises.
Perikangas believes that Secapp is suitable for organizations with, for example, multiple locations and nationwide operations. In his opinion, the system adapts to a variety of needs, such as communicating with large organizations’ personnel, for the use of traveling personnel, alerting individuals, and forming a shared situational picture.
Secapp functions well in site-specific communication, where recipients can be targeted based on their location or target group. Messages reach those who need the information, and others are not burdened with it. When necessary, the entire personnel can be reached quickly and reliably, which Perikangas sees as one of the best aspects of using Secapp.
Secapp also provides added confidence to daily operations, even though it is not used as the primary internal communication system at the Tax Administration. In case of a possible system failure, it serves as a quickly accessible aid for communication, as a discussion channel or platform for video conferencing.
Secapp also supports preparedness measures and training. Depending on the scenario, the training can include, for example, a technical disruption or a water damage, says Perikangas. He also highlights a current example related to the energy crisis.
-During this past winter, power outages and preparing for them have also been discussed here at the Tax Administration. Plans have been made for how Secapp will be used to inform personnel and distribute instructions in case of an actual situation. Secapp supports well-targeted communication in situations like that.
Secapp offers many possibilities for various integrations, and its many functions allow for possible expansion of use. Kai Perikangas says that the Finnish Tax Administration has identified the possibilities for integrations.
Perikangas reveals plans of utilizing Secapp’s two-way communication more widely in travel situations in the future. In case of any problems during traveling, Secapp can be an excellent and safe means of communication for the traveler.
The feedback received from within the organization regarding the reliable delivery of messages has increased assurance that the matter is also considered important internally. Messages are delivered through several different channels and they also reach the right people. The group collaboration possibilities being piloted have also received positive feedback; there’s an opportunity to have discussions within relevant groups and to arrange video conferences via Secapp Meet.
“One of the best features of Secapp in our use is definitely that it’s an independent system and thus supports our own operational reliability. It’s also simple in a good sense and an excellent tool for internal communication”, Perikangas summarizes the benefits of Secapp.
-In terms of functionalities, the development of Secapp has started off at a good pace, and there are so many new features coming that we need to consider which ones are especially needed in our use. Development at Secapp has been fast during recent years, and the system is flexible enough to meet the needs of many different types of users.
Guest writer: Seppo Hujanen, Security Manager, Essote In the …