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Montana online services win the Best of the Web nationwide competition in two categories with an honorable mention in another

NASCIO Announces Recognition Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology

For the 17th Consecutive year, NASCIO, representing the chief information officers of the states, has selected winners to receive the 2005 Recognition Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology. The awards are given annually to state IT programs and systems that have created proven cost effective, innovative solutions in the operation of state government. This year the program received 95 nominations from 33 states. Winners were selected in eight categories.

NASCIO’s Awards committee, comprised of state and corporate members, chose the award winners. Mike Inman, Commissioner of Technology, Commonwealth Office of Technology, Commonwealth of Kentucky, chaired the committee.

Criteria for selection included a description of the project with length of time in operation; relative significance to the operation of government; benefits realized by service recipients, taxpayers, agency, state; and return on investment.

Full submissions from all nominations are posted on NASCIO’s website.

List of winners organized by category.

Communications Infrastructure

North Carolina Taxpayer Assistance & Collection Center

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Digital Government – Government to Business

Michigan Motor Fuel Automation System

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Digital Government – Government to Citizen

Michigan Talent Bank

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Digital Government – Government to Government

Utah Department of Transportation

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Enterprise Information Architecture

North Carolina Statewide Technical Architecture

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Innovative Use of Technology

Washington AMBER Alert 911 Web Portal

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Security & Business Continuity

North Carolina Statewide Security Initiatives Program

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State IT Management Initiatives

Michigan Implementation of Consolidated IT Services

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It’s official: Montana has three of the best government Web sites in the nation.

In the government-to-citizen category of the 2005 Best of the Web competition for Digital Government Achievement the Department of Labor and Industry took home the award for their Unemployment Insurance online filing service, UI4U.

The Department of Revenue won the government-to-business category with Business Tax Express.

And the Secretary of State received an honorable mention in this same category with the Business Entity Annual Reports filing service.† All of these services are available at http://www.mt.gov , the official state website.

The 2005 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 tenth year, Best of the Web evaluates government Web sites based on their innovation, Web-based delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality. The Digital Government Achievement Awards recognize outstanding agency and department services that enhance how governments interact and transact business online with constituents.

"Montana demonstrated tangible public value with results that make government more responsive to the state’s businesses. Business and tax filings with government are now as straightforward and fast as online banking," says Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government, "Anytime you streamline a bear of a process from seven months to less than 24 hours, you know you are doing something real and in the public interest."

Governor Brian Schweitzer understands the importance of hard work, innovation, and return on investment. "Making government more customer friendly and efficient are cornerstones of my administration. These web-based services are providing round the clock service to our citizens while streamlining government. I am proud of our state employees who work hard everyday to make our government a better government."

Department of Labor and Industry’s (DLI) Jeanne Murphy and John Hessler accepted the award in the Government-to-citizen category for Unemployment Insurance for You (UI4U).

"Montana is one of forty states making government programs more accessible to the public through online services", said DLI Commissioner Keith Kelly. "UI4U provides a user-friendly system for unemployed workers to securely file unemployment insurance, status their claim, file weekly claims certifications and view and print a 1099-G, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no cost to the claimant."

Government-to-business winners, Business Tax Express and Business Entity Annual Report filing, were recognized as the best out of more than 250 entries. Business Tax Express enables businesses to pay up to eight different taxes in minutes. Dan Bucks, Director of Montana’s Department of Revenue states, "Our goal is to make paying taxes as easy as possible, and we intend to continuously improve our e-services to taxpayers."

Business Entity Annual Reports allows corporations and limited liability companies statewide to file their annual reports.† Secretary of State Brad Johnson said of the services recognized in his office: "This award is truly an honor, not just for the Secretary of State’s office, but for all the people of Montana. By efficiently allowing businesses, large and small, to file their annual reports online, we have reduced red tape, increased responsiveness, and saved both businesses and taxpayers’ money. The men and women in the Business Services Bureau of the Secretary of State’s office work hard every day to streamline delivery of our services, both online and off. I am very proud of their efforts, and this award reflects well on them."

Representatives from the Center for Digital Government, Government Technology magazine, and officials from the 2004 Best of the Web-winning state and local governments served as judges for the 2005 Best of the Web competition and Digital Government Achievement Awards.

The award winning services are a result of an alliance between state government and the private sector. They were cooperatively developed and are supported by the Montana Secretary of State’s office, the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Administration’s Information Technology Services Division, and Montana Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment provider NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV).

For more information about these services, visit mt.gov, the official state website.†

CONTACT:

Sarah Elliott, GOV, 406-444-9725

Bob Garner, SOS, 406-444-2807

Michelle Robinson, DLI, 406-444-1520

Cynthia Piearson, DOR, 406-444-6700

Dawn Pizzini, ITSD, 406-444-2974

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