Alabama.gov Ranked Among the Nation's Top Five Web Sites

It's good to move forward, but it's also rewarding to leave good things behind. I hope to see continued success in Alabama, as I worked with some very bright and talented web developers on the alabama.gov web portal during my four and a half years in Montgomery.

Alabama.gov Ranked Among the Nation's Top Five Web Sites
Friday September 26, 1:23 pm ET
Full article

MONTGOMERY, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the fifth consecutive year, Alabama’s official state Web site (http://www.alabama.gov) has been ranked among the top ten in the Center for Digital Government’s annual Best of Web competition for government portal excellence. This year, Alabama.gov was ranked fifth in the nation among Web sites.

“Best of the Web is certainly an honor we are pleased to receive,” said Alabama Chief Information Officer Jim Burns. “The state’s technology staff and partners have worked hard to ensure that Alabama citizens can be informed and do business conveniently and securely using Alabama.gov.”

The 2008 Best of the Web competition recognizes the most innovative and user-friendly state Web portals and was conducted by the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Sites are judged on delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality for improved citizen access. Representatives from the Center for Digital Government and officials from the 2007 Best of the Web-winning state and local governments served as judges for this year’s competition.

“This year’s winners represent the very best in state Web sites and the Center applauds Alabama for its diligence and hard work,” said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government. “Each year, state and local governments continue to make strides towards implementing better access and more efficient Web delivery of public services.”

Alabama.gov offers a variety of government-related services and information 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The site provides numerous online resources to Alabamians, including information on living and working in Alabama, professional license renewals, up-to-date state agency contacts, and a digital media gallery. The portal also provides more than 140 interactive services that allow users to complete entire personal and business transactions online. Thanks to the addition of these new services and information, Alabama.gov is on track to significantly increase its annual online visitor count from 3.3 million in 2007 to almost 4 million in 2008.

The Alabama.gov portal is developed and managed at no cost to the state and is the result of a unique public-private partnership between the Alabama Department of Finance and Alabama Interactive, the state of Alabama’s partner for online government services.

About Alabama.gov

Alabama.gov is the state of Alabama’s official Web portal (http://www.alabama.gov) and a collaborative effort between the state of Alabama and Alabama Interactive. It was built and is marketed, operated, and maintained by Alabama Interactive, a Montgomery-based wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV - News).

About NIC

NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 2,900 state and local agencies that serve more than 70 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.

Contact:

Alabama Interactive
Sloane Wright, 866-353-EGOV

Source: Alabama.gov

Education a Priority in West Virginia

West Virginia Education Portal Recognized Twice for Innovation in National Competitions

Monday September 22, 12:56 pm ET
Link to Article

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The recently unveiled West Virginia Education portal (http://www.education.wv.gov) has been declared one of the best education Websites in the nation by the Centers for Digital Government and Education. The new portal was presented the 2008 Best of Web Special Award and the 2008 Digital Education Achievement Award based on its innovative approach to integrating more than 900 education resources into one centralized starting point located within the state’s official Website, http://www.wv.gov.

“We were very pleased to finally see a state develop a comprehensive education component into their overall state Website strategy,” said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government. “The West Virginia Education Portal takes the right approach to providing diverse online education resources to West Virginia’s citizens.”

The Best of Web Awards and Digital Education Achievement Awards are national programs that recognize outstanding agency and department Websites and applications that enhance information interactions, transactions, and services. The awards were presented by the Centers for Digital Government and Education, which are national research and advisory institutes on information technology policies and best practices in government and education, during the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet meeting on September 19 in Charleston.

“West Virginia is the first state in the nation to develop a centralized online resource for families to seamlessly access the numerous educational offerings in the state,” said First Lady Gayle Manchin. “These awards highlight the commitment of the state of West Virginia to improving the educational opportunities for our citizens and educators.”

The education portal is the result of the work of the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet, which was formed in 2006 to promote a seamless education system that connects every level of education from early childhood to graduate study. It encompasses job training and lifelong learning to both support and enhance West Virginia's job creation and economic development efforts.

The West Virginia Education Portal was built without using taxpayer dollars by leveraging an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive, a Charleston-based subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV - News). Additional services are slated to be released in the upcoming months that will further streamline citizen access to government services and save taxpayer dollars.

About WV.gov

WV.gov is the official Website of the state of West Virginia (http://www.wv.gov) and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive. West Virginia Interactive works with government agencies to build and manage interactive online services and is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC.

About NIC

NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 2,900 state and local agencies that serve more than 70 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.

Contact:
The Office of Governor Joe Manchin
Lara Ramsburg, 304-558-2000
Communications Director
or
WV.gov
Peter Fairhurst, 304-414-0265 ext. 103
General Manager

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