The state-run enterprise “Centrul de telecomunicatii speciale”/(the Special Telecommunication Center) has launched on Tuesday a new service designed for governmental institutions – the Multifunctional Secure Telephony. The deputy director of the enterprise, Vitalie Coceban, has told Info-Prim Neo that the necessity of such a service came amid a new global trend in the IT world. “This service is a new step in what we call classical telephony. It brings the civil servant closer to the citizen”, stated Coceban. One of the main particularities of the new service is that it secures a high protection level for the information circuit between the state-run and government institutions. The Multifunctional Secure Telephony offers such services as video telephony, voice mail, blacklisting, interactive voice response, etc. The benefits of the service are the new communication opportunities for governmental institutions at low costs. Data encryption technology guarantees the security of the information and allows to further develop any kind of communication service, no matter the rigorousness of the technical requirements. The network comprises more than 100 governmental institutions. The institutions willing to get connected to the new network will pay an initial sum of 1,000 lei to further choose the optimal package, whose monthly fees range from 40 to 70 lei. Member-to-member calls will be free of charge. The service builds on a pilot project carried out at the Tax Inspectorate last year. The authorities say the next step will be to launch the service nationally. The Special Telecommunication Center was selected in December 2003 to operate the information and telecommunication system of the Government.