The State Fund for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities is betting on digitization – the fund has opted for Polcom Cloud services as part of the implementation of a dedicated Support Service System.
Statistics show that there are now almost 5 million people with disabilities living in Poland. PFRON is one institution that focuses on providing such people with the right assistance and creating the right conditions to make everyday life easier. Until now, the disabled, in order to obtain funds from the fund, had to fill out a number of applications.
Digitization makes life easier for the disabled
The solution from the situation turned out to be a step towards digitization and the creation of a dedicated SOW system, which significantly increased the accessibility of the aid programs offered.
Thanks to the Support Service System, people with disabilities have gained significant facilitation in the application process, including round-the-clock support and real-time information on the progress of the application, without having to visit an office. This innovative application is a milestone in the process of digitizing the subsidy services offered by the Fund and distributed by local governments – says Dr. Dariusz Lazar, SOW project manager, PFRON Programs Department. – What’s more, thanks to the reduction of expenses, such as travel or postage, the cost of obtaining assistance has decreased to a minimum. It’s also hard not to notice that in the current reality – the Covid-19 pandemic – the SOW system has made it possible for applicants to be served remotely by local government units despite the restrictions imposed, and has provided applicants with the ability to use the office’s services safely – emphasizes Dr. Dariusz Lazar.
24/7 support, 365 days a year
The system guarantees round-the-clock support and access to information on the application being processed – all without having to leave home or wait in lines at offices. The SOW System is already used by 380 counties, i.e. all local government units in the country.
In order to provide users with convenient and uninterrupted access to the application, even in situations of a flurry of requests, the most favorable solution for providing the appropriate technical infrastructure for the SOW system is inherently scalable cloud computing – points out the SOW project manager.
Until a few years ago, cloud computing in the public sphere was a very rare model for building an efficient technical infrastructure. Today, we can observe a significant increase in interest in cloud solutions by the public sector. This should not come as a surprise, however, because the cloud has great potential – it allows for a significant reduction in the costs associated with maintaining one’s own structure, it also gives great flexibility and adaptability to current needs. What is very important for public offices, it also guarantees a sufficiently high level of data security – in the case of Polcom, confirmed by international ISO 27017 and 27001 certificates.