E-Mice Solutions (HK) will operate e-Cert services from April 1 following the award of a four-year contract, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer says.

The company will be responsible for the full operating cost in providing e-Cert services and is entitled to receive subscription and renewal fees from e-Cert subscribers.

The level of e-Cert services provided to the public, including service outlets and hours, will be unaffected after the contractor takes up the service, along with fees.

About 1.54 million personal and organisational e-Certs have been issued, including 1.26 million free personal e-Certs embedded in smart ID cards. Outsourcing the e-Cert operation will help generate a self-financing public certification authority operation and drive the utilisation of e-Certs.

Value-added services

The company has proposed value-added services in its tender proposal as part of its business plan for generating a self-financing public certification authority operation.

They are subject to separate discussions and agreement to ensure that all services riding on the e-Cert comply with laws and rules in addition to the terms and conditions of the contract.

Any value-added services that may be provided by the contractor will be done under its own brand name and distinct from the e-Cert operation. Consent of the e-Cert holders will also need to be sought on whether they wish to receive information about these services.

Personal data

With the award of the contract, the Government remains the owner of the e-Cert scheme and data, and is responsible for monitoring the contractor's performance during the contract period.

In preparing the tender, the Government has conducted a privacy impact assessment and consulted the Privacy Commissioner to ensure adequate measures are included in the contract conditions to protect the personal data privacy of e-Cert holders.

It is also clearly stated in the contract that all e-Cert data is owned by the Government and the contractor will only be allowed to use the personal data of e-Cert holders in performing its obligations under the contract for the provision of e-Cert services.