Tackling Outdated Tech in Bavaria: Saying Goodbye to Fax Machines
Fabian Mehring, the digital whiz of Bavaria's Free Voters, is making waves with his ambitious plan to modernize public administration. His aim? To do away with the seemingly outdated and antiquated fax machines, deeming them relics of yesteryears.
In the digital age, fax machines have become a symbol of backwardness. As a progressive state, Bavaria sees an opportunity to lead the digital transformation charge, becoming the first federal state to eradicate the use of fax machines in public administration.
Mehring's vision involves presenting a detailed set of measures to the Bavarian cabinet next year, which would pave the way for a transition period during which digital document transmission would replace using fax machines.
Bavaria is not one to shy away from this technological leap; the Free Voter politician pointed out that the state boasts nearly 4,000 fax machines in its administrations. With a firm commitment to banish these relics from its public administration once and for all, Bavaria is ready to move on to the future.
As Germany embraces innovation and dives into telecommunications territory, industries like Telefónica explore hologram telephony to revolutionize communication, while others deviate from rules and regulations in the digital sphere. Bavaria's push towards digitization could inspire other federal states to follow suit, transforming the use of high-tech solutions in public administration.
Contextualizing Bavaria's Digital Transformation
Driving digital transformation in Bavaria, the Byte Bavarian Agency for Digital Transformation, established in 2021, acts as a digitalization partner for the state government. Projects like the FAZID digital funding management platform and Digital Check are exponents of this, focusing on creating laws and regulations that cater to the digital age.
byte's AI Roadshow is another exciting initiative, aiming to assess the needs for AI integration in public services, leading to the establishment of an AI lab and workshops exploring the best possible ways to integrate AI into public administration.
The Digital Transformation project group is conducting research and developing policy recommendations to equip Bavaria's administrative employees with essential digital competencies, drawing on research from other German federal states and European countries.
Fax machines may not appear in these projects specifically, but the broader efforts to modernize and digitize public administration in Bavaria align with Mehring's vision to make waves in the digital transformation landscape.
