Dataprev

Dataprev, formally Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência, is a Brazilian public company specializing in information technology, data processing, hosting, software development, and digital services for the federal government. Its most important institutional role is the operation and protection of databases and systems associated with Brazil’s social-security administration, particularly those used by the National Social Security Institute (INSS). The company is linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services and operates under private-law corporate status, with its own assets and administrative and financial autonomy. The organization has roots in the modernization of Brazilian social-security administration. In 1938, data-processing equipment using punched cards was installed at the Institute of Retirement and Pensions for Industrial Workers, supporting the calculation and maintenance of benefits. Dataprev itself was created by Law No. 6.125 of November 4, 1974, through the consolidation of data-processing centers that had served Brazil’s social-security institutions. It initially operated under the name Empresa de Processamento de Dados da Previdência Social. Its corporate name was later changed to Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência Social and, in 2020, to Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência. During its early years, Dataprev assumed responsibility for computer infrastructure previously managed under a contract between the National Institute of Social Welfare and Burroughs Corporation. It subsequently expanded from infrastructure management into application development, benefits administration, call-center operations, data migration, analytics, cloud and hosting services, and support for public-sector digital programs. The company’s systems have been used in areas including social security, taxation, public finance, labor and social programs, transportation regulation, pension supervision, and other government functions. Dataprev’s operating infrastructure includes three principal data-processing centers in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, together with software-development units in Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, João Pessoa, and Natal. Its service portfolio includes business intelligence, operations and technical support, application development, hosting and cloud services, consultancy, open-data services, and electronic communications. Its client base has included INSS, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Revenue Service, the Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury, the National Superintendence of Complementary Pensions, the Brazilian Space Agency, the National Land Transport Agency, municipal governments, payment organizations, and financial institutions. Important modernization projects include the Prisma benefits system, introduced in the Federal District in 1991, and the INSS 135 telephone service, launched in 2006 to provide remote assistance and reduce the need for in-person queues. In 2013, Dataprev completed a major migration of Federal Revenue Service and National Treasury databases to a lower-cost computing platform. The project involved ten large databases, multiple applications, billions of records, and the conversion of substantial legacy COBOL code into Java. The company became politically prominent in 2020 when it and the federal technology company Serpro were placed in Brazil’s National Privatization Program. The proposal raised concerns from public prosecutors and other observers about the outsourcing of strategic government databases, privacy, the General Data Protection Law, and national security. Dataprev also underwent a structural reduction in January 2020, including the closure of numerous state branches and a reduction of approximately 500 positions. Its continuing role is centered on maintaining critical public digital infrastructure and supporting Brazil’s social-protection and government-service systems.

Dataprev’s institutional history is closely tied to the development of Brazil’s social-security data infrastructure. A significant early precedent dates to 1938, when José Gomes de Pinho Neves installed large punched-card data-processing equipment at the Institute of Retirement and Pensions for Industrial Workers. The equipment supported the calculation, granting, and maintenance of retirement and pension benefits, demonstrating the importance of mechanized information processing to the administration of social protection. Dataprev was established on November 4, 1974, under Law No. 6.125. The law consolidated data-processing centers associated with Brazil’s social-security institutes, which had existed in different forms before their institutional integration. The new organization was initially called Empresa de Processamento de Dados da Previdência Social. In 1975, a contract involving the National Institute of Social Welfare and Burroughs Corporation was transferred to Dataprev, giving the company responsibility for computer equipment and operations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The company gradually expanded beyond operating hardware. In 1989, it held its first public hiring examination, reflecting the requirements of Brazil’s 1988 Constitution for public-enterprise recruitment. In 1991, it introduced Prisma in the Federal District. The system supported benefits-related functions at Social Security Agencies and represented an important step toward standardizing and computerizing frontline social-security administration. Dataprev’s service role broadened further in the 2000s. Software-development units were established in João Pessoa, Fortaleza, Florianópolis, and Rio de Janeiro. In 2006, the company launched the INSS 135 call center, enabling users to obtain information and services by telephone and helping reduce queues at agency offices. By 2011, the processing centers’ storage capacity had reached one petabyte, reflecting the expanding scale of Brazil’s social-security and public-administration data. A major modernization project was completed in 2013, when Dataprev migrated Federal Revenue Service and Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury systems to a lower-platform environment. The project covered ten large databases, twelve major applications, approximately 8.5 billion records, and the conversion of about 3.4 million lines of COBOL code into Java. This work illustrated Dataprev’s role not only as a social-security operator but also as a modernization and systems-integration provider for other public institutions. The company’s legal and corporate identity evolved over time. Its name changed from Empresa de Processamento de Dados da Previdência Social to Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência Social and later to Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência. The latest change was approved at the 14th Ordinary General Meeting on October 27, 2020. Dataprev’s structure was substantially reduced in January 2020. Approximately 500 positions were eliminated and 20 state branches were closed, leaving three principal data centers in Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, along with software-development units in Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, João Pessoa, and Natal. The company was also included with Serpro in the National Privatization Program. That initiative generated debate over the governance of sensitive state databases, compliance with Brazil’s General Data Protection Law, and the potential national-security consequences of outsourcing strategic information infrastructure. Dataprev remains a federal public company linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. The Federal Government holds 51 percent of its share capital and INSS holds 49 percent. Its current activities include business intelligence, operations and support, software development, hosting and cloud services, consultancy, open data, and electronic communications. Its continuing significance derives from its position at the intersection of social security, public administration, data protection, and Brazil’s digital-government infrastructure.

• 2020

  Operating structure reduced

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  The company closed 20 state branches and reduced its workforce by approximately 500 positions, concentrating operations in selected data centers and development units.

• 2020

  Corporate name updated

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the name Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência at its 14th Ordinary General Meeting.

• 2013

  Large-scale database and software migration completed

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Dataprev completed the migration of Federal Revenue Service and National Treasury Attorney systems, including the conversion of major COBOL applications to Java.

• 2011

  Processing-center storage reached one petabyte

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Dataprev reported that the storage capacity of its processing centers had reached one petabyte.

• 2006

  INSS 135 call center launched

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  The telephone service expanded remote access to social-security assistance and helped reduce agency queues.

• 1991

  Prisma benefits system implemented

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Prisma was introduced in the Federal District to support benefits-related activities at Social Security Agencies.

• 1989

  First public hiring examination

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Dataprev conducted its first public tender for recruitment, consistent with the public-enterprise requirements established by Brazil’s 1988 Constitution.

• 1975

  Computer operations transferred to Dataprev

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Dataprev assumed responsibility for the computer park in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo under the transfer of an existing INPS contract with Burroughs Corporation.

• 1974

  Dataprev created by federal law

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Law No. 6.125 established the organization through the consolidation of social-security data-processing centers.

• 1938

  Early mechanized social-security data processing

  [1]Datapreven.wikipedia.org

  Large punched-card processing equipment was installed at the Institute of Retirement and Pensions for Industrial Workers to support benefit administration.

A strategic Brazilian public-sector technology provider focused on trusted government data, social-security systems, digital public services, and national-scale information infrastructure.

• Social-security benefits system · 1991

  Prisma

  Prisma is a benefits-related information system implemented in the Federal District in 1991. It supports functions performed at Social Security Agencies and represents one of Dataprev’s early large-scale application systems for operational social-security administration.

• Government call-center service · 2006

  INSS 135

  INSS 135 is a telephone-based social-security assistance service launched in 2006. It was designed to give users a remote channel for information and services, reducing reliance on in-person visits and queues at Social Security Agencies.

• Infrastructure and cloud services

  Government data hosting and cloud services

  Dataprev provides hosting, cloud, data-processing, operations, and technical-support capabilities for public institutions. These services are supported by data centers in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo and are used for sensitive government workloads.

• Software engineering and systems integration

  Public-sector software development

  Dataprev develops and modernizes applications for government clients, including systems connected with social security, taxation, public finance, and other public services. Its documented modernization work includes the conversion of legacy COBOL applications to Java.

• 2020

  Restructure the branch and operating networkStrategy

  Background

  Dataprev reviewed its national footprint in the context of a broader organizational restructuring.

  Action taken

  The company closed 20 state branches and reduced approximately 500 positions, retaining three principal data centers and five software-development units.

  Aftermath

  Operations became more concentrated in Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, João Pessoa, and Natal.

  Source

• 2020

  Enter the National Privatization ProgramStrategy

  Background

  The Brazilian government considered changes to the ownership and operating model of federal technology enterprises.

  Action taken

  Dataprev and Serpro were included in Brazil’s National Privatization Program.

  Aftermath

  The proposal generated objections and public debate concerning personal-data protection, outsourcing of strategic databases, and national security. The supplied reference does not establish a completed sale.

  Source

• 2020

  Update the corporate nameOther

  Background

  Dataprev’s corporate identity had previously used names referring to social-security data processing and social-security technology and information.

  Action taken

  The 14th Ordinary General Meeting approved the name Empresa de Tecnologia e Informações da Previdência.

  Aftermath

  The company continued to use Dataprev as its established trade name while operating under the updated legal name.

  Source

• 2013

  Modernize Federal Revenue and National Treasury systemsGeneration change

  Background

  Several major government databases and applications required migration from legacy computing environments.

  Action taken

  Dataprev completed the migration of ten large databases and twelve applications and converted approximately 3.4 million lines of COBOL code to Java.

  Aftermath

  The project expanded Dataprev’s demonstrated role in large-scale public-sector modernization and legacy-system transformation.

  Source

1. 1Datapreven.wikipedia.org
2. 2Dataprev official websitedataprev.gov.br