[europol.europa.eu] In 2007, Europol dealt with a total of 16 operational projects (Analysis Work Files, AWFs). All projects focus on priority crime areas identified for 2007. They address specific operational targets to support live investigations in the member states or focus on issues brought forward in the framework of the Police Chiefs Task Force.
In 2007, development of the Overall Analysis System for Intelligence and Support (OASIS) was fully completed. The underlying concept of OASIS is to minimise data pre-processing and to maximise analytical capabilities, allowing the analytical resources available at Europol to be fully exploited. OASIS is not a single software application, but an overall system containing several very different software applications (including text and data mining facilities, workflow management, and interface possibilities). These applications are needed to handle data from an analytical perspective, supporting the intelligence cycle by introducing comprehensive technical solutions.
All operational projects will be transferred to this new Europol Analysis System, which, once it is fully implemented, will further enhance Europol’s abilities to support criminal investigations in member states. [..]
The Europol Information Management and Technology (IMT) Department is responsible for supplying information management and ICT (information and communication technology) solutions to its internal and external customers. Europol’s main task in this area is to implement and maintain information systems to facilitate the collection and exchange of information and intelligence according to the Europol Convention. This task is performed through the development and maintenance of ICT solutions, specialised support and consultancy, information management coordination and the enforcement of data protection and confidentiality rules.
During 2007, Europol’s ICT function focused its efforts in three main directions:
1) Development of new and improved applications to support member states and Europol serious crime units in their core mission
2) Investments in the technical infrastructure to support new business requirements, improve manageability as well as enhance the security of information processing operations
3) Improvements in ICT governance and management processes in order to provide a better and more efficient service.
During 2007 the following main business applications were significantly upgraded or developed:
• The new Check the Web information system, supporting the fight against Islamist terrorism
• Two new versions of the Europol Information System and data loaders were also released, containing several functional enhancements, including improved support in addressing fraudulent and suspicious financial transactions, and bombs and incendiary objects
• The new technical components of the Europol Analysis System (EAS) for information processing, delivered by the OASIS project, were put into operation.
The following new technical capabilities were also offered to business users in 2007:
• A customised application to give Europol staff access to Schengen Information System I (SIS I)
• A new data protection and audit tool, operational on both the Information System and SIS I
• A new version of the specialised law enforcement portal system to enhance collaboration between special anti-terrorism teams (ATLAS)
• Videoconferencing capabilities deployed to all Europol National Units
• The Crime Scene Web Site, supporting cooperation and information exchange between forensic institutes in the EU.
Source: http://www.europol.europa.eu/publications/Annual_Reports/Annual%20Report%202007.pdf
