IA Systems, sole distributor of Hummingbird Enterprise Content Management Systems, has donated software to the South African History Archive (SAHA).
Daniel Hall, IA Systems CEO, says IA Systems and Hummingbird have donated the document management and records management modules of Hummingbird as well as providing support for the software to SAHA to help in the preservation and sharing of South Africa`s history.
"Our history needs to be preserved in a manner that protects the original items but enables all citizens of South Africa, Africa and the world, to have access to our nation`s history and hopefully prevent further atrocities of a similar nature."
SAHA`s core function is the collection, retention and distribution of documentation of historical significance to South Africa. Hall says these documents need to be filed and stored in a logical fashion with strong search facilities, so that pertinent information can be retrieved.
Shadrack Katuu, SAHA information analyst, says SAHA currently has two programmes which it is working on. The first is the Freedom of Information Programme, which provides access to released materials and conducts research, information dissemination, lobbying, education and training in the use of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
The second is the Struggles for Justice (SFJ) programme, which is dedicated to preserving and creating access to collections of records that document struggles against Apartheid, as well as struggles still being fought in southern Africa.
Katuu says managing documentation around the NGO`s two projects has been difficult because documentation has been spread across a number of individual computers.
"In the past we have not been able to manage our proposals, reports, e-mail correspondence and articles for publication from a central repository. We have been looking for funding for donors for two years to buy software to improve our administration, but donors are more inclined to donate towards programmes than towards SAHA`s administration needs. We are therefore most grateful to IA Systems for making the donation," he says.
Katuu says the NGO looks forward to maximising the software`s functionality in managing administrative records around its projects.
According to Hall, the implementation of Hummingbird at SAHA will begin early in the New Year.
Share