The move won't affect snail mail and state offices will stay where they are. Connecticut is moving to a more desirable piece of real estate on the information superhighway. After months of previewing its new Web portal, the state Department of Information Technology last week moved from its ConneCT Internet address at www.state.ct.us to the new domain at www.ct.gov.
States were authorized to begin using the dot-gov Internet domain last year and Connecticut began the transition last spring, said department spokeswoman Nuala Forde.
Forde said the new site is designed to allow citizens to find information or obtain government permits with just a few mouse clicks.
"This next-generation state Web site is moving from an information-based site to a more service-based portal," she said. "It's organized around the user rather than the state bureaucracy."
The launch of the new portal coincides with the redesign of a handful of individual state agency Web sites, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, that allow residents to do more on the Internet.
Forde said there are more than 30 state services on the site. That number is expected to increase every month as about 60 state agencies convert to the new system. It cost about $130,000 for the software, hardware and installation, she said.
The state's ConneCT system, launched about five years ago, has been lauded for providing more than 1 million documents online. Last year, the state placed fourth in a nationwide e-government survey conducted by Brown University's Taubman Center for Public Policy.
Forde said about 1.1 million documents -- twice the height of the state Capitol -- are downloaded every month. She added that Connecticut also ranks fifth in the nation in the number of households with Internet access.
Brown University political science Professor Darrell West authored the e-government study and said all 50 states are engaged in an "arms race" to stay competitive in cyberspace.
"A lot of states want to do more and more with technology," West said. "They see it as a way to keep costs down."
West said it is impossible to say if the new portal will improve the state's ranking, since many states update their Web sites.
"It's very well organized and I think the citizens of Connecticut will find it easy to use," he said. "A quick look suggests that it has a number of positive features."
West said he was most impressed by what was missing from the Web site.
"It stands out that there's no picture of the governor on the front page," West said. "A lot of governors use their state Web sites for promotional purposes and Governor (John) Rowland deserves credit for not doing that."
The system is intended to provide a uniform look for all state Web sites. The home page features weather and lottery information. State agencies soon will be able to offer e-mail alerts of upcoming events, news reports or bid materials for vendors, Forde said.
"The time has come to take our Internet presence to the next level," she said.
Quelle: Greenwich Time
