Utah State Portal Ranks No. 1

Utah.gov was named the best state government Web portal in America by the Center for Digital Government, an international research and advisory institute on information technology (IT) in government and education.

Govtech.net

Utah captured first place in the "state government portal category" of the Center’s 2003 Best of the Web contest based on its innovation, Web-based delivering of government services, efficiency, economy, and functionality for improved citizen access.

The Center received more than 260 entries from five public-sector entities: state government, city government, county government, K-12 education, and higher education. A panel of IT leaders from the public and private sectors judged all Web site entries. Winners from all other entities and categories will be announced later this month.

Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government and a Best of the Web judge for all of its eight years, said this year’s state government entries were by far the best group of Web sites she has ever judged.

"Utah has a beautiful Web site that is easy to navigate and offers a variety of online services," said Robinett. "It has a live 24/7 customer-service help function, the most advanced common look-and-feel features in the nation, dynamic content, and a large amount of online services. Utah has historically been a leader in digital government. Capturing first-place in the Best of the Web contest reflects its true commitment to the citizens and businesses of the state," she added.

Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt’s ambitious efforts last year to expand and restructure his IT department and accelerate the state’s online offerings paid off. After months of collaboration between his office, IT managers and department heads, hundreds of online services were integrated, resulting in a consolidation that saved money and improved the quality of service to citizens.

"Our goal is to use technology to make state government services more efficient and accessible," said Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt. "This award shows we’re making real progress in our efforts to move more government services online instead of in line."

The governor credited the state’s information technology professionals for this accomplishment, adding, "We’re grateful for your hard work to implement this important vision."

Rounding out the top five winners in state government are:

2nd place: Maine (www.maine.gov)
3rd place: Indiana (www.ai.org)
4th place: Washington (www.access.wa.gov)
5th place: Arkansas (www.state.ar.us)

NIC, Symantec, Cisco, EzGov, and Accenture underwrite the Center’s 2003 Best of the Web contest.

For more information on the Best of the Web contest, contact Rhonda Wilson, communications director for the Center for Digital Government, at 916/932-1321 or visit http://www.centerdigitalgov.com.

http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=2003.09.26-69822