NASCIO Releases Report on State Government Use of the Internet

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), which represents the chief information officers (CIOs) of the states, has released “Harmony Helps: A Progress Report on State Government Internet Presence.”

Now more than ever citizens are using the Internet and email to transact all types of business from online banking to buying books to accessing product comparison information. Citizens also look to the Internet to find state government information and services. In recent years, states have made great strides in maturing their Web portals, enhancing their online service and information offerings, and better aligning their domain naming conventions and portal branding efforts. State CIOs have played a key role in this progress and will continue to do so in the future.

An update of a 2002 NASCIO brief entitled “Proposed GSA Rule: New Policy on the Dot-Gov Domain,” this brief explores how state Web portals have matured and examines:

–The impact of the 2003 expansion of the dot-gov domain to state and local governments;

–Trends in state portal domain naming conventions;

–Trends in Internet portal branding and marketing;

–The alignment of agency Web sites and state email addressing with the state portal;

–Areas of cross-boundary collaboration for online services; and

–Areas for future progress in cross-boundary collaboration for online services.

According to NASCIO, the brief is an update on the progress that states have made toward aligning state Web portals and online service offerings and making them more intuitive and similar from state to state.

NASCIO represents state CIOs and information resource executives and managers from the 50 states, six U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. State members are senior officials from any of the three branches of state government who have executive-level and statewide responsibility for information resource management. Representatives from federal, municipal, and international governments and state officials who are involved in information resource management but do not have chief responsibility for that function participate in the organization as associate members. Private-sector firms and nonprofit organizations may join as corporate members.