AUSTRIAN STATE RECORDS MANAGEMENT LIFECYCLE
The Austrian state is building an integrated “cradle to grave” electronic records management and archive process to ensure that electronic records are managed correctly throughout their lifetime.
This has already included the rollout of records management through federal agencies via the ELAK (Elektronisher Akt) system and the specification of a format for transfer between agencies called EDIAKT. The latter includes transfer to the national archives and thus, in essence, the definition of the format of a valid SIP that can be ingested into an archival system.
The Austrian Federal Chancellery is now funding the provision of such a central archival system plus a general license allowing all Austrian public bodies to benefit from the technology for archiving and preservation. After a competitive tender, Siemens IT Solutions & Systems are providing this system utilising the Safety Deposit Box (SDB) system from Tessella.
This system will ingest the SIPs (in EDIAKT format) into long-term storage and provide comprehensive access, data management, preservation and administration functions. The Österreichische Staatsarchiv (Austrian State Archives) will be the first to use this system by the end of 2010.
This is the basis on which the requirements for maintaining electronic records, which will be the sources of historical research in the future, are being created. This will preserve the historical heritage of Austria for generations to come.
["Konrath, Berthold", "Sharpe, Robert"]
["vienna"]