SmartForms technical information

Techincal information for the SmartForms service. SmartForms is an online forms development, hosting and support service.

Compatible browsers and devices

SmartForms are rendered using a web browser and are compatible with a range of mobile and desktop devices.

HTML SmartForms support the following browsers:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer – versions 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0
  • Google Chrome – current version
  • Mozilla Firefox – current version
  • Apple Safari – current version. 

Please note: IE8 is no longer supported due to security vulnerabilities.

Older browsers may provide a degraded user experience or may not function at all. We have tried to align the experience with modern browsers.

HTML SmartForms support the following devices:

  • Apple iPad 2 or later tablets (using iOS 5 or later)
  • Google Android version 4 or later devices
  • Microsoft Windows 8.1 devices via the Windows Store. 

We test Transact HTML forms across a wide range of browsers on mobile devices including Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia and Microsoft Surface. While we perform exhaustive testing across market leading devices and browsers, we can’t test against all combinations of mobile device, browser, and device patch combinations.

Using SmartForms offline

SmartForms generally require an internet connection because they use web based technology, but there are options for limited offline capability.

Security measures

SmartForms are classified to operate at the UNCLASSIFIED DLM Level. The Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) independently assessed the service to be compliant with the UD controls of the Information Security Manual (ISM). We routinely upgrade our security to maintain ISM compliance.

SmartForms server location

The SmartForms service resides in Macquarie Telecom’s G-Cloud environment. This is a private government-only shared infrastructure, behind an Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) certified gateway. The service and all data, is hosted in Australia.

Compatible payment gateways

SmartForms use hosted payment gateways to seamlessly process electronic credit card payments. You can use the following hosted payment gateways:

  • PayPal
  • Westpac QuickWeb
  • WorldPay
  • BPoint
  • Bizgate
  • Transaction Network Services. 

Data retention

SmartForms only stores data temporarily while transmitting from the form user to the client agency. Data passing through the SmartForms service is encrypted, and is purged within 72 hours of the client agency confirming they’ve retrieved the data from the servers.

The SmartForms hosting application (Transact Manager) compiles activity logs that identify statistical information about the user’s browser. Logs are partitioned so that an agency can only access data and reporting about their own agency and forms. We can report on statistical data at a global level.

SmartForms in practice

Building SmartForms in-house

Our hosting and management platform (Transact Manager) and the SmartForms development tool (Composer) allows agencies to create and develop forms in-house. In-house development requires a form developer with Composer knowledge and experience. We can provide form developer training on a fee-for-service basis.

Data size constraints

Individual submissions, including attachments, can’t be larger than 20MB.

Submission volumes

Our standard service accepts up to 500 submissions per month. You can increase this volume but it may be subject to cost recovery arrangements.

Reporting

Transaction Manager provides an analytics dashboard that includes a range of reports for you to report and analyse your SmartForms activity.