Estonia is known around the world for its electronic public services thanks to clever IT architecture and a forward-looking government. Almost entirely covered by fiber-optic lines and 4G, the country is also a world leader in Internet freedom. Exchanges between government, people and companies are fully electronic, increasing accessibility and transparency and reducing red tape. For example, 95% of income tax returns are now filed online, and doctors write 98% of prescriptions in digital form. The pillars of the digital society is the secure data exchange channel, called X-road, and digital ID.

The state is continuing to develop the accessibility and transparency of its public services underpinned by electronic services and information systems.. Increasing emphasis is being placed on service design, because information systems are only one requirement for a functional e-service. The government’s goals for communication with citizens are efficiency, flexibility and security and an ever-more innovative and flexible business environment.

For the last 15 years, Helmes on has been building the e-state in fields such as:

• central government – state budget management, heading up the shared service center, and self-service interfaces for various agencies
• e-voting
• e-justice – court management, e-cases
• security – e-police, e-prisoner, flight management, border systems
• social services – social aid management, unemployment self-service
• agriculture – self services, surveillance systems, forest management
• e-health – digital prescriptions, hospital information systems, central patient administration
• utilities – waste management
• municipalities – public parking management, public transport management