New features in Suomi.fi Messages

A new version of Suomi.fi Messages was released on 26 August 2023. In connection with the version update, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency has introduced new features and improved the performance of the service.

The number of messages sent through the service has been estimated to increase significantly in the coming years. The purpose of the performance improvements is to prepare for this future growth.

Messaging in Suomi.fi Messages to become more automated

Most of the messages in Suomi.fi Messages are processed automatically and delivered to customers either electronically or as paper mail.

The new production version will simplify error resolution. Organisations using Suomi.fi Messages no longer need to resend messages as often as in the past after errors in message processing have occurred. Errors can be resolved in the service without the resending of messages.

If there is a system error during message delivery, your organisation will receive a message stating that the message will be directed to manual processing. This does not require action from you. The maximum processing time in manual processing is one working day.

If the material cannot be processed in one working day, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will contact your organisation and provide an estimate of the delivery time. At this stage, you will still have the opportunity to cancel the sending of the message and send new messages yourself. This may be required, for example, if the message data contains information (e.g. due dates) that must be changed prior to resend.

If changes to the message are not needed, your organisation may authorise the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to resend the message to the recipient late and in its original form.

New features in Suomi.fi Messages

In connection with the version update, new features have been introduced in Suomi.fi Messages that bring improvements to organisations sending messages.

The new features include:

• Adding address pages to paper mailings
• Sending electronic signatures
• Processing landscape pages in mailing

Adding address pages to paper mailings

Adding a separate address page is now enabled as an additional service in Suomi.fi Messages. This functionality is available for WebService Interface (WS) LahetaViesti senders.

With the new additional service, the sender does not need to add a separate address page to the material themselves, but instead, the Messages service can do so based on the address information in the XML message.

The default setting of the Messages service will still be that the sending organisation will add address pages to pdf attachments themselves (in which case the value of the lisaaOsoitesivu element will be false). However, if the new lisaaOsoitesivu element is set to 1 or true in the XML message, Messages will add an address page to the message. In this case, you do not need to include an address page in the material you wish to send. Recipient address details must be provided to the Messages service by the organisation in the XML message.

The address page is only added if the message is sent to the recipient by paper mail. Address pages are not added to messages sent to Suomi.fi Messages in electronic format.

Adding an address page practically means one extra page to your message.

Sending electronic signatures

In Suomi.fi Messages, the processing of messages has been developed so that the electronic signatures in PDF files will remain intact until delivered to the recipient's electronic mailbox. This functionality is automatically enabled for all WS / LahetaViesti senders.

The change will allow you to send a signed pdf file without breaking the signature, even if the address page is added to the message only after the document is signed. This requires that the organisation uses the option to add a separate address page to messages sent by paper mail, which is provided as an additional service in Suomi.fi Messages.

The Messages service will first send the signed PDF files to the recipients in electronic format before adding address pages to messages delivered by paper mail.

Processing landscape pages in mailing

Organisations sending Suomi.fi Messages sometimes need to set certain pages in an attachment from portrait to landscape orientation. This could be the case, for example, when the attachment contains a wide table or other data that does not fit well on a portrait A4 page.

When the message arrives in electronic format in Suomi.fi Messages, landscape pages in attached PDF files are always displayed in landscape orientation without the sending organisation having to rotate the page. The recipient of the message will therefore be able to read the table, for example, without having to rotate their device display.

Previously, the organisation had to ensure that all pages sent by paper mail were set to portrait orientation. Your organisation can now order the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to rotate a landscape page into portrait orientation before the material is sent for printing. After that, you can send landscape pages without having to worry about whether the message will be delivered to the recipient electronically or by paper mail. This way, recipients will always be able to read the pages easily and in their entirety, regardless of whether they receive the messages electronically or by paper mail.

The functionality is enabled in the LahetaViesti XML messages of the WS interface. A new element, salliLiitteenKiertoPystyyn, has been implemented in the XML message. It is set to 0 / false by default, but can be set to 1 / true, in which case we will rotate any landscape pages to the correct orientation in messages that are sent to the customer by paper mail.

Coming soon: more comprehensive statistics on Suomi.fi Messages

The opportunity to view service statistics will be introduced in Suomi.fi Messages later this year. These statistics will include e.g. the number of messages sent, the number of service users and the number of sent messages per sender.

More information

Digital and Population Data Services Agency, viestit-asiakastuki[at]dvv.fi