Launch of New Search System on 21 August 2010
Purpose
This circular gives notice of the launch of a new search system to improve our services to customers, which will come into operation on 21 August 2010 (Saturday) at 07:30 a.m.
Background
2. As foreshadowed in our previous communication with customers and stakeholders through Customer Liaison Groups, briefings on Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS) Online Services and Land Registry's homepage, the Land Registry will introduce a new search system ("the new system") for the provision of improved public search services via the Internet, search service counters and self-service search terminals at our Customer Centre on 19th Floor, Queensway Government Offices and the three New Territories Search Offices at Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long. The new system will take over the public search functions currently provided by IRIS. The transition to the new system will be seamless and transparent to customers. There will be no interruption to our services.
3. Salient features of the new system are as follows:
(a) It is built with enhanced technical design to ensure that search services to customers will be delivered in a more stable manner. The new system is separated from the internal registration system such that its operation will not be affected by scheduled maintenance and upgrading work on the internal registration system; (b) it will consist of a primary system and a secondary system. Whenever the primary system becomes inoperative due to system problem or urgent maintenance, the secondary system will take over the search services within one hour; (c) whenever there is a need to perform scheduled maintenance and/or upgrading work, such will be applied to the primary and the secondary systems separately (i.e. one after the other) so that either the primary or the secondary system will continue to be available to provide search services to customers within the operation hours; and (d) both the primary and the secondary systems will be equipped with enlarged processing capacity, which will be capable of handling sudden surge in search volume and long-term growth in market demand for our search services.
Date of Service Launch and Extension of Operation Hours of IRIS Online Services
4. The new system will be put into service on 21 August 2010 (Saturday) at 07:30 a.m. By then, the existing IRIS Online Services will be migrated to operate on the new system.
5. In response to feedback from our customer service survey in 2008, the operation hours of IRIS Online Services on the new system will be extended from the current 16 hours 1 a day to 20 hours a day (including Saturday, Sunday and public holidays) running from 07:30 a.m. to 03:30 a.m. (with last order cut-off at 02:30 a.m.) the next day.
6. To align with the starting operation hour at 07:30 a.m., the message at the beginning of each land register will be revised as follows:
"The information set out below contains particulars of the property
up to 07:30 on dd/mm/yyyy."
Seamless Transition to the New System
7. We will provide a seamless transition to the new system such that services to customers will not be interrupted. Specifically, when the new system takes over the existing search functions of the IRIS Online Services,
(a) access 2 to the IRIS Online Services on the new system will be via the same existing domain name, i.e., (b) subscribers will continue to use their existing log-in IDs to conduct online searches. Their transaction records and unused balances of deposit will automatically be transferred to the new system; (c) all search screens, functions and delivery methods for search orders will be the same as the existing ones; (d) existing online payment methods (i.e. VISA, MasterCard and PPS) will continue to be available. The current payment gateway will be changed to the government payment gateway, but that will pose no difference in the manner in which users pay for the search services except that when payment is made by VISA, MasterCard or PPS, the new payment screens as set out at Annex will appear; (e) for access to the IRIS Online Services, there will be no change in the system requirements and configurations of the customer's computer, except that for subscribers requiring e-cert login, the Java Plug-in installed in their browser software shall be upgraded 3 to version 1.5 or 1.6; and (f) the existing helpdesk service will continue to be available to users and will be extended 4 to 24 hours a day.
8. The Terms and Conditions for use of the IRIS Online Services will continue to apply to the new system, except that the operation hours will be extended as set out in paragraph 5 above.
Enquiries
9. For any enquiries on this circular, please contact our Customer Service Manager, Mr. Kenneth POON (now changed to Miss Cherie CHOW), at 3105 0000 or e-mail us at csa@landreg.gov.hk
1. Current operation hours of the IRIS Online Services are from 08:30 a.m. to 00:30 a.m. the next day.
2. Government users will continue to access the IRIS Online Services through the government network (with appropriate adjustments of network settings).
3. Upgrade of the Java Plug-in is available at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp#need.
4. The service hours of the Technical Support Help Desk will remain unchanged, i.e. 08:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 08:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
( Ms Olivia NIP )
Land Registrar
Annex
(a) New Screen for Selection of Payment by Visa, MasterCard or PPS
(b) New Screen for Payment by Visa
(c) New Screen for Payment by MasterCard
(d) Screen for Payment by PPS (no change, i.e. same as the existing screen)
