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ACOL Information Guide |
Information Guide
What is ACOL?
ACOL is an on-line information service that provides electronic access to a variety of information maintained by the four provincial governments of Atlantic Canada and other jurisdictions. It uses electronic commerce technology adhering to stringent standards for security and confidentiality. It offers a convenient method of providing public information from Internet-enabled personal computers including those located in participating government departments. ACOL has the ability to submit information for registration purposes in addition to the simple retrieval of data. Doing business with government is easier and more efficient than ever before!
This service is managed by Unisys Canada Inc. within a public/private partnership with the governments of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. It is based on a multi-year contract that was signed by the four premiers on May 10, 1996.
As a partner to government and to the business and consumer communities, ACOL offers the following:
- Public Information Access
- Secure Network Infrastructure
- Electronic Commerce Functionality
- Credit Card Merchant Processing Services
- Revenue Management Capabilities
- Client Support Centre
- Business Development Program
- Information Product Development Services
- Marketing and Communications Program
Who will want to use ACOL?
Professionals in law offices, government offices, real estate firms, banking institutions, automobile dealerships, commercial organizations; citizens; and their agents can use the ACOL service. Users can quickly retrieve and register information to help them make critical decisions or comply with legislative requirements. As an anonymous user they can use ACOL to request or renew government services.
How can ACOL help me?
- Convenience — ACOL offers remote access from your office or home and flexibility in method of payment.
- Time savings — ACOL is efficient because it eliminates time-consuming travel to government offices, labour-intensive manual searches, and extensive waiting for results.
- Availability — You have immediate access to public information beyond standard business hours, subject to system maintenance and backup processes.
- Multi-jurisdictional access — When you register for a service type, we take care of the details to give you quick access to one or more databases.
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) capability — For our professional clients we provide EFT capability facilitating the automatic and secure transfer of funds to ACOL, which allows you to concentrate on serving your clients' needs rather than on additional administration.
- Common look and feel — The ACOL systems provide a browser-based graphical user interface for user-friendly access to government information, contributing to quick navigation of the service for improved productivity.
- One user password — As a registered user of ACOL, you are assigned a user ID with one password, which will provide access to multiple sources of information, eliminating the need, confusion, and risk of managing multiple passwords for many systems.
What do I need to connect?
You can access ACOL from your home or business using your personal computer. This requires a supported Internet browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and a portable document format (PDF) viewer such as Adobe Reader. Connection to ACOL is through your local Internet service provider.
Is registered or anonymous user access supported?
ACOL supports access by both registered and anonymous users. Specific service functionality is normally available to only one of these user types. For example, the Personal Property Registry system is used primarily by registered users tied to an ACOL account although its Lien Check service is made available to anonymous users with payment by credit card. Multiple services exist for both types of users.
How do I establish an account?
To acquire an account, review the Terms and Conditions and complete the ACOL Client Application and Financial Agreement forms, which can be obtained from the ACOL web site. Return the completed forms and initial payment to the Unisys ACOL Business Financial Office.
Once your application is received, we create a master client account with user IDs for those individuals you have identified as users of the account. Each client account receives the ACOL Welcome Package that includes a welcome letter with user IDs and passwords to access the system.
While connecting to Client Services is as simple as pointing your browser to the designated URL, telephone support is available from the Client Support Centre to help diagnose technical problems. Online help is available on the ACOL web site.
What equipment do I require?
To use the ACOL system, you require a computer system with the following:
- A supported Internet browser:
- Internet Explorer (IE) 5.5 or higher, or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or higher
- Your browser must support 128-bit encryption
- Your browser must be configured to enable JavaScript
- Your browser must be configured to disable pop-up blockers
- Adobe® Reader® 4.0 or higher.
What are some of the features of the ACOL system?
Each client account can have three types of users with different authority levels. Each account has one Prime user, which has the highest level of authority. The Contact is the secondary level while the Basic user has the lowest level of authority. Each type of user is granted subscription options that define the business functions the user can perform.
The basic features of the system include:
- Retrieve reports
- Change another user's password
- Change password
- Submit an electronic cheque
- Request an account statement
- Request account status
- Review & update user information
What is the Client Support Centre?
The Client Support Centre provides support to both prospective clients and to registered or anonymous users of the service. Simply by dialling the toll free 1-888-624-ACOL (2265) number, your inquiries will be managed by professionally-trained client support representatives who are dedicated to responding to your inquiries in an effective and efficient manner. Each inquiry is entered into the automated call management system and managed to complete resolution.
How do I pay for this service?
ACOL provides enhanced access to government databases where the fees are established by government within the legislation and regulations. The agreement with the provinces provides that ACOL receives payment in advance for fee-based transactions, either through a positive balance account or credit card payment. Prior to initiating a transaction, such as a search or a registration, the system will indicate the fee and request confirmation to proceed. Once confirmed, and authorised in the case of credit card payments, the transaction is completed and the fee is deducted from your account or charged to your credit card. At any time, registered users may request an Account Statement to review their transaction history and balance.
What methods are available to deposit funds to my account?
The electronic commerce and revenue management capabilities of ACOL offer the highest levels of functionality and security. Upon registration, Unisys establishes an account that must have a positive balance where fees for transactions completed are deducted.
Payment to your account can be made through your choice of Electronic Cheque, EFT, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Cheque, or Money Order, which is indicated in the Financial Agreement and selected by you at registration time. The Electronic Cheque function allows the approved user to "write" a cheque on-line and submit it for a transfer of funds from the user's bank account. The EFT method is an automated procedure to transfer funds from your bank account. The level of funds required in your account is based on your anticipated volume of transactions, where maximum and minimum balances are established. The system notifies you when your positive account balance requires additional funds.
Questions?
For more information contact our ACOL Client Support Centre.
Unisys Canada Inc.
P.O. Box 204, Halifax, NS B3J 2M4
Released: 7 September 2005
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15 February 2006