Post on 20-May-2020
UK Public Sector
Windows 8 AppsMarch 2013
HelloWelcome to our UK Public Sector Windows 8 Apps e-book.
As public sector organisations look for ways to engage with citizens more
effectively, apps are becoming a great way of making services more
accessible. We’ve chosen eight apps that provide great examples of how
public sector data is being used in applications for Windows 8 and
Windows Phone devices.
Do you have a great case study to share? Why not become a part of the Microsoft Customer Reference
Programme today?
To nominate an organisation, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/refnom or email UKRMC@microsoft.com
Featured Apps
Love
Clean
StreetsCategory: Government
Partner: BBITS
www.lovcleanstreets.org
Description
Report environmental crime and issues easily to your local authority and have
them resolved worldwide. By using Bing Maps, Love Clean Streets can show all the
reported cases in your area in one easy-to-view place.
You can make a report in three simple steps:
1) Check the location on the map
2) Take or select a photo
3) Pick a report category, and submit
Your report will be sent to the relevant authority and you can be kept informed of
progress in the reports section on the app or through text and email messages
and the Love Clean Streets website: http://lovecleanstreets.org
Why not use Love Clean Streets to report the things you’ve done to help clean up
your area? Thousands of people are already involved in looking after our rivers and
public spaces.
Find it in the app store here.
”Contact centre
environmental calls
went from 130,000
in 2006 to 84,000 in
2012–a reduction of
more than 35 per
cent. In contrast,
calls to other
services rose by up
to 77 per cent”Love Lewisham
Solution
Love Clean Streets is an award-winning mobile and cloud-based service.
Citizens can report environmental crime such as graffiti, fly-tipping, or
potholes through their mobile phones; authorities can manage and
respond through our integrated services. We have many years’
experience of providing local authorities and their partners with a
solution that allows the public, local authority operatives, or partners to
report environmental crime, using a Windows Phone device, within 40
seconds. As well as local authorities, we have a growing number of
partners integrating their systems into Love Clean Streets, and an
increasingly diverse group of professionals using the service.
Results
Branded versions of Love Clean Streets, such as Love Clean London, Love
Lewisham, Smarter York and Tidy Oldham are among 40-plus local
authorities using their own branded environmental app with significant
savings and channel shifts. Some examples include:
• Reduced overtime to collect missed bins from £300,000 in 2006 to £0
in 2011 by enforcing refuse staff to use the app for issue reporting
• A 73 per cent reduction in graffiti
• A 53 per cent reduction in fly-tipping
• A 42 per cent improvement in resident satisfaction for street cleaning
• Reduced cost of dealing with standard service request/complaints
from £5.11 to £1.50
London
Tube MapCategory: Travel
Partner:mxData Ltd
www.mxapps.co.uk
Description
London Tube Map is based on the award-winning mxData Tube Map. Available
now on Windows 8. Access on your desktop, tablet, and laptop to stay one step
ahead. From finding a station, planning a journey, checking departure boards to so
much more. Download it now for free.
Features
• Official licensed Tube map from Transport for London (TfL) with zoom feature
• Uses real-time data provided by TfL
• Navigate the map using point-and-click action. To exit map, right click or swipe
from the top to bring up the ‘back’ button
• The world’s fastest route planner
• Search feature for a named station
• Set ‘My Home Station’ to receive live updates
• Live departure boards
• Line and station status information
• When app is running, receive live line status updates to your start screen
through Live Tiles
• Twitter feed integrated
Find it in the app store here.
”Since launching
London Tube Map,
it has had more
than 35,000 users
on Windows 8.
We’ve received
some great
feedback so far.”
Anne Marie Alexander
Sales Director, mxData
Solution
Through working closely with Microsoft Technical Evangelists, mxData
developed its first application for Windows 8. The Microsoft Application
Experience Review (AER) process was key in achieving the launch date.
The AER UX design provided invaluable feedback as the app was
matched against the user interface design criteria. Guidance and support
from Microsoft provided the expertise mxData required when changes
needed to be made. The Microsoft online documentation was thorough
and comprehensive even before the release of the platform to the public.
The AER thoroughly tested London Tube Map, highlighting any bugs to
ensure solutions were found and to prepare the mxData app for store
submission. The partner’s technical experience in developing and
deploying applications provided a solid foundation, however, the
Microsoft Technical Evangelists were paramount in getting the mxData
award-winning London Tube Map application ready for Windows 8
launch.
Results
mxData now has a Windows 8 version of its London Tube Map app.
Having fulfilled the requirements of the Microsoft internal certification
process, best work practices now exist to promote the continuation of a
strong working relationship. mxData now has the template for Windows
8 development, and will draw on the knowledge and findings from this
first app in the future..
London
Bus
CheckerCategory: Travel
Partner: FatAttitude
www.buschecker.com
Description
Get live bus countdowns for London to your Windows 8 device. As featured on
BBC Click, Telegraph Online, The Independent, Wired UK, The Sunday Times
App List and more.
Now you can carry live bus arrival times in your pocket, wherever you are-for all
of London’s 20,000 bus stops.
Bus Checker doesn’t use a timetable - it gets the real, live information for each
bus as it moves around London, meaning it’s both accurate and reliable. Plus,
Bus Checker shows you street-level route maps for all London’s 700 bus routes,
while allowing you to search by place name or postcode, perfect for planning a
journey somewhere new.
Download Bus Checker today - and never miss that last bus of the night again.
Although if you do, we’re not picking you up from the taxi rank in Morden.
Data provided by Transport for London.
Find it in the app store here.
”Following the
launch of our
Windows Store app,
we’re now bringing
live bus times to
more than 100,000
people every week.”
Carl Partridge
Director, FatAttitude
Solution
FatAttitude brought its successful travel apps London Bus Checker and UK
Bus Checker to Windows 8 with the development of a full-featured
Windows Store app. The new app allows desktop and tablet users alike to
browse live bus times and route maps for every stop in the UK with up-
to-date mapping and traffic information from the built-in Bing Maps
control. The app also takes advantage of Windows 8 Live Tile functionality
to provide quick access to favourite bus stops direct from the Start
screen.
Results
Just one month after launch, Bus Checker is now in the top-3 best-selling
travel apps for Windows 8 and has been selected by the editorial team
for featured placement in the Windows Store.
Health
ChoicesCategory: Health
Partner: 3chillies
www.3chillies.co.uk
Description
Health Choices brings information about NHS services in England and health
information to your fingertips. This app has been developed in collaboration with
NHS Choices, which supplies all NHS service details, and condition and treatment
information. Integration with Microsoft HealthVault adds the ability to save
condition and NHS service information against a secure personal account.
Please note:
NHS Choices supplies service information for the NHS in England only.
Features
• Search for NHS services by name, location, or proximity to you
• Find contact details for GPs, dentists, hospital departments, and other NHS
services
• View ratings and key indicators for NHS services
Find it in the app store here.
”We’ve been looking for
opportunities to enter the
consumer health market,
but regulations and entry
costs have been
prohibitive until now.
Microsoft HealthVault and
Windows 8 have provided
SMEs with an opportunity
to develop solutions and
go to market with our
ideas fast.”
Paul Spearman
Managing Director, 3chillies
Solution
Using Microsoft HealthVault, a security and privacy enhanced central
repository for consumer health data, 3chillies was able to build a
Windows 8 app providing consumers with a way to store their health
data with personalised health information from NHS Choices. The app
gives users appropriate information on their conditions and the ability to
look for treatment centres using location services.
Results
3chillies has effectively used a trusted industry platform to store sensitive
health data, using Windows 8 to deliver the app with an intuitive
experience. With content integrated from NHS Choices, consumers
receive clinically approved health information from a trusted source. They
can now access more than 800 conditions, find and choose NHS services,
and read the latest health news on their chosen device.
This solution also aligns with the Department of Health agenda to
empower patients by providing them with tools such as Health Choices to
take control of their own wellbeing. Health Choices has been called out
by the NHS Commissioning Board as an exemplar of a consumer-focused
app and was highlighted at the NHS Expo.
FloodAlerts
Category: Government
Partner: ShootHill
www.shoothill.com
Description
FloodAlerts is a free application provided to users in England and Wales, with
localised flood warnings updated every 15 minutes.
The app, developed by Shoothill, takes data provided by the Environment
Agency and transforms it into a visible layer overlaid on Bing Maps, so you can
assess your flood risk more accurately. When a flood alert is issued that affects
your monitored location, you receive a notification on your Windows PC or
tablet device. This gives you a direct link to the relevant alert(s) on the map,
helping you assess the situation as it develops.
Features
• Graphical representation of the flood area on an interactive map
• Flood information updated every 15 minutes
• Notifications sent to you the moment you are at risk
Find it in the app store here.
“This is a fantastic
example of the
private sector
involvement in this
important area and
shows how
technology can be
used for wider, real-
world benefit.”
Richard Benyon MP
Minister for Natural Environment
and Fisheries
Solution
FloodAlerts from Shoothill, uses a cloud-based engine that is permanently
connected to the Environment Agency via a hub. Flood monitoring data is
sent to FloodAlerts by the Environment Agency every 15 minutes, and the
system immediately processes it for both display on a map and the
transmission of email alerts to the application’s users. Flood alerts and the
extent of flooding are then shown in the correct location on Bing Maps.
FloodAlerts can be deployed anywhere in the world where suitable data
feeds are available and can be readily applied to provide other types of
alerts.
FloodAlerts is easily delivered via an iframe and has been designed for
simple syndication to other web properties, such as the Environment
Agency website.
For organisations, it can be adapted to monitor any number of assets or
locations and provide sophisticated customised alerting to key
stakeholders.
Results
Shoothill FloodAlerts is the first and only graphical representation of the
Environment Agency’s flood alerts and warning data, displayed as an
overlay on Bing Maps, which also delivers personalised flood alerts.
FloodAlerts is available as a Facebook app, Windows 8 app or via a
browser on a PC.
For more information, please visit: www.shoothill.com/floodalerts
Food
HygieneCategory: Government
Partner: Shoothill
www.shoothill.com
Description
Eating out? Getting food in?
Find out if a restaurant, takeaway or food shop you want to eat at or buy food
from has good food hygiene standards.
The food hygiene rating or inspection result given to a business reflects the
standards of food hygiene found on the date of inspection or visit by the local
authority. The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality.
You can search by:
• Your current location
• Business name (or part of the business name)
• Town/city
The information provided on businesses is held on behalf of local authorities
participating in the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Northern
Ireland, and Wales or the Food Hygiene Information Scheme in Scotland.
The app is provided free by the Food Standards Agency and is advert free.
Features
• Search for food businesses by name and/or location and their hygiene rating
• Find all food businesses nearby and their hygiene rating
Find it in the app store here.
“The app shows
full-screen Bing
Maps and uses GPS
location technology
that will work with
Wi-Fi-enabled
laptops or desktops,
and also mobile and
tablet devices.”
Rod Plummer
Managing Director, Shoothill
Solution
Shoothill has worked in partnership with the Food Standards Agency to
develop the application on Bing Maps, to provide the latest local food
hygiene information delivered straight to Windows 8 devices.
The new Windows 8 application is designed to work on Windows 8 PCs
and surface devices and is provided free of charge and advert free via the
Food Standards Agency.
Users can search for specific restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels,
and other places to eat out, by using various search options:
• Search by current location
• Search by business name
• Search by town/city
• Search by postcode
Results
The new app has already exceeded initial download expectations and has
been received with great interest by local government organisations and
councils looking to create a version specifically locked for their local area.
For more information, please visit: www.shoothill.com
CEOP(Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre)
Category: Government
Partner: BBITS
www.bbits.co.uk
Description
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is a UK police
agency dedicated to protecting children from harm both online and in the real
world. CEOP has a unique, holistic approach to tackling child sexual abuse and
exploitation. In addition to tracking offenders wherever they may be and
bringing them to account, CEOP also provides advice and guidance to help
children of all ages stay safe online and is active in sharing best practice
techniques with the wider child protection community.
This app provides quick and easy access to online safety information and advice
from CEOP, including our range of engaging and award-winning education films,
websites, and social media channels.
If you have any concerns about suspected child sex offender activity, you can
report this directly to CEOP via the app in the Report section. This could be
someone acting inappropriately towards you, or a child or young person that
you know, by trying to engage in sexual chat, asking you to do something that
makes you feel uncomfortable ,or being insistent on meeting up.
Find out more by visiting the CEOP website via the app:
http://www.ceop.police.uk
Find it in the app store here.
“The CEOP produce a wide
range of educational films
and other resources through
its Thinkuknow programme.
These deal with a range of
issues experienced by young
people online and empowers
them with awareness of the
risks so they can protect
themselves. I’d urge all
parents to look at the range
of online and mobile safety
tools we offer.”
Peter Davies,
Chief Executive, CEOP
Solution
The CEOP is are always looking to provide children with instant access to
CEOP apps and browser tools, so children can learn how to protect
themselves online.
Results
Peter Davies, Chief Executive of the CEOP, says: “Microsoft is a key partner
for the CEOP. Successful partnerships like this enable us to extend the
reach we can achieve with our educational materials and make it easier
than ever to report illegal or suspicious activity online. It’s another way in
which we are working to close the net on offenders.
“With this new free app from the Windows Store, it’s easier than ever for
Windows 8 users to access the CEOP online safety advice pages or make
a report about suspicious or inappropriate contact online. Children can
quickly explore award-winning CEOP educational videos, see the latest
campaigns or follow the CEOP Facebook page or Twitter feed updates.”.
Patient.co.uk
Category: Health
Partner: EMIS
www.patient.co.uk
Description
Download the Patient.co.uk app to search our database of patient information
leaflets on health, conditions, and diseases.
Each leaflet is written by our expert authoring team of independent GPs, and
passes the information standard-which means it is trusted, high-quality,
evidence-based health information.
Most GPs in the UK have the same leaflets on their computers to print out for
patients during consultations.
Features
• More than 900 trusted patient information leaflets on health, conditions, and
diseases.
• Search NHS services in your chosen area.
• Browse categories or search for the condition you require.
• Pin favourite leaflets to your Start screen.
• Read Dr. Sarah Jarvis exclusive blog on www.patient.co.uk
Find it in the app store here.
”Our Windows app
was developed as a
response to
changing user
behaviour. It
successfully delivers
our trusted content
to our growing
mobile audience.”
Ben Foster
Operations Director, Patient.co.uk, EMIS
Solution
Patient.co.uk is well-established as a leading provider of trusted and
up-to-date evidence-based health information, which complies with the
Department of Health’s quality mark, The Information Standard.
Awarded as a Highly Commended Patient Resource in the British Medical
Association (BMA) Patient Information Awards 2012, Patient.co.uk was
also recommended as the top health site ‘you can’t live without’ by The
Times in January 2013.
The Windows version of our Patient.co.uk app was developed as a
response to changing user behaviour, with a surge in people visiting the
site via their mobile devices.
Results
Our free Patient.co.uk Windows app has given more than 8,200* people
on-the-go access to around 900 pages of medical information leaflets at
their fingertips. It provides users with the convenience of locating nearby
GPs, dentists, pharmacies, hospitals, or opticians in their chosen area in
England.
Dr. Matthew Noble of imedicalapps.com, says: “It is the first app I’ve ever
considered ‘prescribing’ to a patient in a consultation.”
*8,255 as of 14 February 2013