The country is taking notice of Utah's official Web site. The state's Web portal (www.Utah.gov) captured first place among states in the 2003 Best of the Web national competition for government Web site excellence, marking the first time Utah has been ranked among the top five finishers. eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq:EGOV) manages Utah's Web portal on behalf of the state, and a total of eight NIC state and local partners were singled out from a field of more than 260 public sector Web sites in this year's contest. The 2003 Best of the Web competition was conducted by the Center for Digital Government, an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government. Now in its eighth year, Best of the Web evaluates government Web sites based on their innovation, Web-based delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality.
"Government portals have truly become the citizen gateway to services as sites become more robust and easier to navigate," said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government. "Utah has an elegant and highly functional site that sets the bar for the rest of the nation. Capturing first place in Best of the Web reflects Utah's true commitment to its citizens and businesses."
NIC's government partners represented four of the five best state Web sites, with Utah taking the top prize, Maine (www.Maine.gov) earning second place, Indiana (www.IN.gov) taking third place, and Arkansas (www.Arkansas.gov) ranking fifth. Another NIC partner placed in the top five in the local competition, with a third place finish for the City of Indianapolis & Marion County (www.CivicNet.net and www.IndyGov.org).
Launched in May 1999, Utah's eGovernment portal supports more than 242 state agencies and divisions and processed approximately 2.4 million online transactions last year. Utah.gov features more than 80 interactive services that help constituents interact more efficiently with government, including OneStop Business Registration, vehicle tag renewals, Uniform Commercial Code filings, and the nation's first real-time customer service solution that is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
"Our goal is to use technology to make state government services more efficient and accessible," said Utah Governor Mike Leavitt. "This award shows we're making real progress in our efforts to move more government services online instead of in line."
Three of NIC's partners were also recognized for excellence in eGovernment applications, Montana's online suite of hunting & fishing licenses (www.DiscoveringMontana.com) was ranked among the four best state general government services, and applications offered through the Maine Secretary of State's Web site (www.Maine.gov/sos) were included in the top four state constitutional officer services category. The Iowa State County Treasurers Association property tax portal (www.IowaTreasurers.org) was also singled out for offering the best county-level application.
Representatives from the Center for Digital Government, Government Technology magazine, State Technology, Inc., and state and local government officials from Virginia and Tampa, Florida, were on the judging panel for the 2003 Best of the Web contest.
"NIC builds eGovernment portals that help citizens, businesses, and government agencies work more efficiently," said Harry Herington, Chief Operating Officer of NIC. "We're very pleased that our government partners are being recognized for their efforts to enhance constituent services, and we congratulate all of our Best of the Web honorees."
Quelle: Business Wire
