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GAZETTE
H N
N
APRIL. 1993
Automation in the Companies
Registration Office
by John Furlong, Solicitor
The Companies Registration Office
(CRO) in Dublin Castle undertakes a
range of statutory functions relating
to the registration and recording of
company information. These include
incorporation of companies,
registration of business names,
registration of post incorporation
documents and the enforcement of
statutory filing requirements. In
addition the office makes a range of
documents and returns available for
public inspection. With
approximately 130,000 live
companies on the register, company
registration is a document based
activity where quality service is
demanded. In 1988 approximately
600 new documents (3,500 pages)
were received at the CRO each day.
In 1992 the number of documents
had risen to 1,000 per day.
The need for access to these
documents both by the CRO itself
for the processing of further
registrations and by members of the
public for inspection posed
particular difficulties in the location
and availability of documentation.
Further difficulties arose in storage
of the vast amount of files on live
and dissolved companies. In 1985 the
CRO introduced a hierarchical
computer database - PROMIS -
with all records grouped by company
and accessed by company number.
Company data is indexed by a
variety of fields such as company
name, director, liquidator, receiver,
date of incorporation etc. From
1986, a separate record was created
within PROMIS for each document
received where data fields include a
document sequence number,
document class, date of receipt etc.
The PROMIS database is accessible
by members of the public requesting
a company printout through a
computer terminal in the public
office of the CRO. In addition
external users can access the
information via an automatic
EIRPAC/Telex inquiry service.
The Introduction of Document
Imaging
In the late 1980s, the office
recognised specific requirements if it
was to meet the increasing demands
on its resources. These included:
• immediate access to original
format copies of documents filed,
• concurrent multi-user access,
• remote access requirements,
• streamlining of the document
processing system.
A pilot study in 1988 concluded that
the office was suited to the
introduction of imaging technology
for its documentation. This
technology would allow for the
display of the original format of file
documentation including graphical
detail, signatures, revenue stamp etc.;
multi user access and the use of the
image itself as the working
document within the registration
process. Imaging would also
significantly reduce storage overheads
and solve problems of location and
accessibility. The system now in
place includes a WANG VS 7310
mini computer and the office has
over 30 imaging work stations which
can be used for viewing two full
page pages side by side and a fax
gateway for transmission of images
to remote users. All work stations
are located within the CRO office
and connected to the VS 7310 in a
star network. A range of software
includes WANG integrated image
system (WHS); WANG OFFICE and
the WANG VS PACE system. WHS
performs most of the functions
required by an image system include
capture, storage, retrieval,
administration, control of database,
access privileges etc. WANG
OFFICE software controls the
transmission of images within the
network. A modified PROMIS
database has been retained. A
register of directors as provided for
in the Companies Act, 1990 is being
built up by adding the names to the
PROMIS database. With this it is
possible to identify an individual and
all the directorships held by that
person. At present, the details of
directors for approximately 70% of
all companies have been added.
There is no intention by the CRO to
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