TexasOnline.com has been named the best state e-government site in the United States in the seventh annual study of state and federal e-government conducted by the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University. Researchers evaluated all 50 states, including 1,503 individual sites earlier this year for various electronic features including online publications, language translation, disability access, privacy policies, security and the number of online services.
"It has been a productive year for TexasOnline.com," said Larry Olson, Chief Technology Officer for the State of Texas. "We have worked hard to ensure that the services to Texans are the best in the country and the recognition of our work is always appreciated. The unique public/private partnership that we have with BearingPoint has allowed the state to build almost 800 services online without any direct government investment."
Study findings conclude: "Texas was the highest-rated state in our 2006 study. The TexasOnline portal site has a simple, effective navigation system and an exhaustive list of over 500 online services contained within the state's websites -- the most of all sites assessed in this study. The e- services are divided into 15 categories and organized alphabetically, allowing for quick access to desired services, including online sales tax payment, vehicle registration renewals, and searchable license records databases. In addition, Texas features audio and video clips on the majority of its websites, as well as a Spanish version of nearly every page."
"Overall, Texas has made a strong effort to deliver convenient access to a vast number of online services, thus topping our rankings," said Darrell West, study author.
The recognition from the Taubman Center follows a recent report from Forrester Research that names TexasOnline as leading state government solutions for Spanish speakers. That report states, "Texas alone provides a full Spanish-language solutions for its online constituents."
Over the past year several new programs have been added to TexasOnline.com including access to vital records and a business portal that breaks down the process of starting a business in Texas to four easy steps. Recently, an emergency preparedness portal debuted in time for hurricane season. This portal is designed to assist Texans in preparing for natural disasters and provides information such as weather updates, accessing government resources, and evacuation routes.
"TexasOnline is a public-private partnership with the State of Texas and BearingPoint that offers one of the nations most advanced and robust citizen- services web portals" noted Gary Miglicco, Vice President of eGovernment Services, BearingPoint. "BearingPoint has worked very closely with the state's Department of Information Resources on building, maintaining and growing TexasOnline over the past six years and to be ranked number one in the country is truly great recognition."
About TexasOnline: www.TexasOnline.com is the official website for the Great State of Texas and provides instant access to almost 800 state and local government services. Here, citizens and businesses are able to download commonly used government forms, renew vehicle registrations and driver licenses, and pay parking tickets and utility bills over the Internet. Businesses can pay sales taxes. Information is offered in both Spanish and English and twenty-four hour customer assistance is available. www.TexasOnline.com is the result of a public-private venture between the State of Texas and BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE: BE), one of the world's largest management and technology consulting firms. For more information, please visit www.TexasOnline.com.
The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) promotes a shared vision for Texas that maximizes the value of the State's technology investment by identifying common areas of interest, using technology to advance agency missions, and preserving flexibility to innovate. Visit DIR at www.dir.state.tx.us.
Quelle/Source: PR Newswire, 28.08.2006
