To all DICOs and DICO deputies in all countries.

Dear rotarians, rotaracters, inner wheelers, ladies and gentlemen

As you all know, Polaris always used the SEMDA platform as its data synchronization interface with Rotary International. Its designer, Rotarian Kent Vesterberg, had long wished to withdraw both from the day-to-day operational management of this system, as well as from responsibility for the future development of this product.

Therefore, in agreement with Kent Vesteberg who will henceforth be able to plan his retirement, Polaris will plan to take over the development of SEMDA from January 1, 2024.

Although, for various reasons, we wish to keep the name SEMDA for this product, we will take advantage of this takeover to significantly improve its functionalities and enable closer and more efficient integration with Rotary International systems. Here are the main development objectives for SEMDA:

• Create a new API (Application Programming Interface), i.e. an IT solution that enables applications to communicate with each other and exchange services or data, allowing both synchronous and asynchronous processing of requests.
• Validate requests in SEMDA + respond faster to requests + avoid unnecessary Rotary requests.
• Provide the new API to customers not using Polaris (these customers will have to adapt their solution to the new SEMDA interface by July 2024).
• Run the new product on Polaris' existing Cloud infrastructure in Switzerland. Optimize resource utilization.
• Significantly reduce the workload associated with operation, maintenance and support.
• Make error notification transparent and simplify the work of club administrators (avoid emails about data error reports).

We are delighted to welcome Kent Vesterberg to the Polaris team as a consultant from September 1, 2023. He will be closely involved in the design of the "new SEMDA". His expertise will help us to do things the right way from the start.

The expected timetable for the "new SEMDA" project is, for now, as follows:

• November 2023 => publishing of the new API
• April 2024 => API available for testing
• September 2024 => start of production and decommissioning of the current product.

Stay tuned, we'll be updating you regularly on the progress of the project.