Zurich justice system uses videoconferencing to cut costs

The Swiss Canton of Zurich has deployed a Trueconf Server video conferencing system in its courtrooms and prisons, removing the need for mandatory physical appearances in court proceedings and parole hearings,

and reducing transport costs.

In the Canton, all trial participants must attend mandatory court proceedings, which often leads to a delay in the organisational workflow of the Department of Justice and Home Affairs. With significant costs in leasing vehicles, staff overtime and fuel, the department spends a lot of money and time per hearing depending on the location of the court and the inmate transported. Additionally, inmate transportation for court appearances and parole hearings has been potentially dangerous for guards, court personnel, and inmates.

To reduce costs and optimise the workflow at the organisation, the department needed to deploy a secure video conferencing network to equip prisons and courtrooms with stable video conferencing. The department’s experts required a software video conferencing solution with secured data encryption to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information. Additionally, the department needed a solution which could operate in a private network without Internet connection and which could automatically record all video sessions for later review. TrueConf Server was selected as the on-premises solution for the department as it met its diverse needs.

The departmental video conferencing network now operates 45 user accounts in the courtrooms and prisons of the Canton of Zurich. The video conferencing system works in a closed network, preventing unauthorised access to sensitive data. The Department of Justice and Home Affairs equipped existing meeting spaces with Windows PCs, the TrueConf for Windows application, webcams and speakerphones.

“TrueConf is very easy to install and configure according to the needs of our organisation,” said Giovanni Minasi, IT system engineer. “Seamless integration with Active Directory groups has also been a great asset for us.“

“State organisations are often slower to adopt digital workflows as compared to private businesses,” said Dmitry Odintsov, TrueConf chief business development officer. “By implementing a TrueConf video conferencing solution into the department’s judicial system, court proceedings in Zurich have become more secure and less expensive. We hope that more organisations will support digital transformation trends in government soon.”