Authorities as end users of Suomi.fi Messages

Suomi.fi Messages is intended for communication between the administration and its clients, not for communication between public authorities. As a rule, the authority is always the sender of messages, but the authority can also be an administrative client, i.e. an end user, in certain situations.

Authorities as sending organisations

Public administration organisations use Suomi.fi Messages to send notifications and other messages to citizens and companies.

• The deployment of Suomi.fi Messages for the sending organisation takes place through system integration. 
• Messages are sent via the system to which Suomi.fi Messages is connected. 
• The sending organisation sends electronic messages to end users based on their personal identity code or business ID.
• The sending organisation is responsible for ensuring in which situations it may use Suomi.fi Messages.
• The organisation can choose to receive new messages and replies from end users.

Authorities as end users

End users include individuals, companies, associations or other organisations. This means that a public administration organisation could also deploy Suomi.fi Messages with a business ID, if it receives messages as a client from other authorities. Suomi.fi Messages cannot be used for other communication between authorities.

• The deployment of Suomi.fi Messages with a business ID takes place in the Suomi.fi Web ServiceOpens in a new window.. This is optional. There is no obligation for authorities or other organisations to deploy Suomi.fi Messages as an end user.
• In the Suomi.fi Web Service, the messages can be read by persons in the company or other organisation who are entered in the Trade Register as a signatory of the company and have the right to represent the company alone. Or who have been authorised by the company's signatory to represent the company using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations.
• Messages can also be read via the Suomi.fi mobile application, if you are a signatory of the company, and you have the right to represent the company alone.
• Incoming messages cannot be targeted to a specific person within the company, and the visibility of a sent message cannot be limited. Messages are visible to anyone who has access to the company mailbox.

When can an authority be a client of the administration?  

It is the responsibility of the sending organisation to assess the situations in which the communication between the sending organisation and the authority receiving the messages involves communication between the authority and an administrative client.

Under the Act on Support Services (571/2016), Suomi.fi Messages can only be used for communications between the authority and an administrative client. If the message recipient is not in the role of an administrative client but it is a matter of communication between two authorities, Suomi.fi Messages may not be used. This also applies to the printing, enveloping and distribution service (TKJ), as messages continue to pass through Suomi.fi Messages even if they were ultimately delivered by paper mail.

If the other authority were a party to an administrative matter or otherwise subject to an administrative procedure, it would act as an administrative client and Suomi.fi Messages could be used to send the message.

• A municipality could be a client of the administration, for example, in connection with taxation or cadastral procedures.  
• A wellbeing services county could be a client of the administration, for example, in relation to its supervisory task.

What should an authority consider if it wants to receive Suomi.fi Messages as an end user?

Please note the following:

1. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has not recommended large organisations to use Suomi.fi Messages to receive official mail (as an end user), as Suomi.fi Messages cannot target a specific person within the company or limit the visibility of the sent message. If you decide to use an electronic mailbox for your organisation, you must determine who are entitled to see all the messages your organisation receives.

2. Please also ensure that more than one person has access to the electronic mailbox so that important messages are not missed. You can add multiple secondary email addresses to your company's electronic mailbox for notifications of new and unread messages. One person acting on behalf of the company can only add one email address.

3. Employees of your organisation always identify themselves in Suomi.fi Messages using their personal, Finnish strong identification tool. After identification, they select that they are acting on behalf of the company.

4. Agree on practical guidelines for processing incoming messages and responding when necessary.

In summary:

• Who is granted access to the company’s electronic mailbox?
• How to remember to change the persons and email addresses when staff changes?
• How are the messages processed, stored or transferred to the company’s own system for processing?
• How to respond if the message requires a reply, but the organisation that sent the message has not allowed it?

In addition, your organisation should assess whether the use of Suomi.fi Messages as an end user is necessary or appropriate. There is no obligation.