Up-to-date, well-organised, secure and efficient information technology services are essential for any organisation. They are particularly important for ESA, as information services guarantee links and contact between the Agency’s establishments, government and industries throughout its Member States and space agencies worldwide.

ESA’s Information Systems Department, based at ESRIN, designs, develops and provides the information systems and software that ensure ESA runs smoothly. By providing office systems, communications systems, hardware and software for all ESA establishments it ensures an identical high standard - and interoperability - throughout the Agency.

Developing management information systems for use in the Agency entails providing the infrastructure needed to support the various information systems used at ESA including servers, and local and wide-area networks. These are used to create:

• sophisticated database systems for the collection, archiving, retrieval and distribution of information
• financial management systems for budgeting, accounting, invoicing and payments
• corporate applications for personnel and site services
• an information-system framework to manage the Agency’s technological research programmes and ESA’s knowledge base

ESRIN’s Information System Department also assists delegations from ESA Member States and industry in their dealing with the Agency by designing and implementing systems to:

• store and retrieve official ESA documents and legal texts
• electronically publish ESA tenders
• support, via the Web, the acquisition of industrial products and services

For internal use the team procures and manages email, document management and exchange systems, and supports advanced information technology such as the integration of voice, data and video communications on the same network infrastructure. By providing internet access and mobility services the Information System Department enables staff to be productive even when travelling and away from their office.

The Information Systems Department has some staff at all ESA establishments but is managed from ESRIN, the site of the main computer server park. The services it provides increases the Agency’s productivity and efficiency, and benefits Member States.