The Municipality of Kungsbacka, Sweden, had several different types of integration platforms to choose from, including major US suppliers. But in the end, the decision was easy. The municipality has chosen to work with Frends from HiQ, as they have a need for a flexible system they can use to develop the municipality's activities.
I am proud that Kungsbacka municipality is turning to us at Frends. It shows once again the enormous potential of the platform, not least in the public sector, says Jukka Rautio, Head of Frends at HiQ.
More than half of all organisations feel that integrating different system solutions is one of the biggest barriers to their development and success. The Municipality of Kungsbacka, Sweden, is no exception. As a municipality, they have many different needs to take into account, and previously Kungsbacka used another integration platform available on the market. They are now purchasing the Frends integration platform from HiQ as they need a more flexible system that they can use to develop the municipality's operations further.
The flexible software, which is going to work for a long time and allow us to build our own solutions, is perfect for us. We had several different options of integration platforms to buy, not least from several major US suppliers. But Frends appeals to us the most. A municipality like ours has so many different needs, and the Frends software fits in perfectly, says Jonas Sjömark, IT Technician at Kungsbacka Municipality.
Frends includes various services – such as integration platforms, process automation, BPA processes, API management, cloud integrations, ground integrations, monitoring, and automated alerts. The Kungsbacka Municipality is now working on integrating financial services, e-services, and various types of API services where different data is integrated and analysed.
In the Frends system, we can build and create solutions exactly the way we want them. In addition, it is an easy program to understand and work with. We quickly got up and running with the platform and have received much help from HiQ during the start-up phase. We can always get hold of them and receive support when needed, which is a great advantage. Other providers don't offer that level of proximity at all. The system handles everything from payroll systems and banking services to e-services where the public has to fill in forms and other information. We also have API services where we plan to integrate data on temperatures at our beaches, the filling level of garbage cans, and broken streetlights, for example, Jonas Sjömark continues.
The Kungsbacka Municipality has a population of more than 85,000, and the municipality employs almost 8,000 people. This means constantly building, developing, and integrating new solutions. The IT department at Kungsbacka Municipality has also noticed increased expectations on the quality of new technical solutions, which is another explanation for why Frends is the first choice.
Photo credit: Kungsbacka municipality
Because of this, Frends' business approach also suits us very well. After we have purchased the service, the company has no ulterior motive where we need to pay for more additional services as we build new features into the system, as with many other services. Because the system can handle anything we want and is easy to work with, we can also deliver orders faster. The public used to be less demanding, but now it's expected to have the best and produce quickly. The system is very suitable for municipalities, so I have answered questions from six other municipalities who are now also looking at whether they should choose Frends and how we work with it, Jonas Sjömark concludes.
About Kungsbacka Municipality:
- The northernmost municipality in Halland County, Sweden.
- Employs about 8,000 people and has a population of 85,000.
- Manages hundreds of technical solutions which need to be integrated with each other. For example, public e-services, internal and external financial services, and various APIs.
About Frends:
- An affordable and flexible software that connects systems that are otherwise separate to provide a unified solution.
- Allows you to develop, build, and integrate different solutions with each other.
- Includes integration platforms, process automation (RPA), BPA processes, API management, cloud integrations, ground integrations, monitoring, and automated alerts.