Online products - in this Space
The ABS has chosen Space-Time Research (STR) to provide the software to power the online products for the 2006 Census.
The two parties met recently to discuss the progress of the development of the 2006 Census product suite.
With the growth in Internet usage, the outcome of this partnership will be increased accessibility of Census products via the Internet for Census data users in the Australian community.
The range of new electronic products developed in conjunction with STR will ensure that different levels of user needs are met by the availability of varying levels of products.
Census data users, for the first time, will have greater flexibility in selecting tables and different geographic areas that meet their particular need.
The result of this will be intuitive, easy-to-use web-based navigation, with the coverage of topics and selection of different geographic areas for the different levels of Census user expertise. The new online products will be a readily available and accessible range of Census data with useful data tables, designed and developed to better match between users’ needs and level of experience with Census data.
Currently, both parties are involved in designing the user interface for the 2006 Census product suite. Next year the products will undergo rigorous testing to ensure they can effectively meet the needs of all users of Census data. Several key aspects of the testing process include: functionality testing, accessibility testing, end user acceptance testing, and usability testing. This is the final stage in the products development before release, which is scheduled for mid-2007 onwards.
The 2006 Census represents the second time the ABS has joined forces with STR to create innovative Census products. The two organisations previously worked together in 1986 to produce CDATA, the first ABS product to provide Census statistics on CD-ROM.
This new electronic dissemination method represented a major technological shift for the ABS, just like the current suite of products which is being developed for the 2006 Census.
With the help of STR the ABS plans to make the 2006 Census product suite the best Census products ever.
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