RI.gov Fifth in Annual ‘The Best of the Web’ Survey
The State of Rhode Island Department of Administration, Division of Information Technology, has announced that RI.gov, the state’s official Web site, has been named one of the top five state government sites in the 2008 Center for Digital Government ‘The Best of the Web’ awards program. The program recognizes the most innovative, user-friendly state and local government portals, and the sites are judged on delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality for improved citizen access.
“The Division of Information Technology is proud to have RI.gov rank among the best state government Web sites in the country,” said John Landers, State of Rhode Island Chief Information Officer. “To have our state ranked with the likes of Texas and California demonstrates how serious Rhode Island is about using the Internet to improve government efficiency.”
To develop and manage RI.gov, the Rhode Island Division of Information Technology partners with Rhode Island Interactive, a Providence-based subsidiary of the firm NIC, Inc., the world’s largest provider of eGovernment services. The portal is supported through a self-funded model, meaning the Web site and services are developed at no upfront cost to taxpayers.
In addition to an updated look and feel, RI.gov continues to enable citizens to interact with their government through the latest technologies. Recent enhancements include creating a RI.gov Flickr photo group, syndicating state press releases through Twitter, and utilizing tools like Facebook and YouTube to share state news and information.
“Given the current fiscal environment, the added efficiencies and many interactive services offered by RI.gov have become increasingly important,” continued Landers. “We intend to continue to build on these efforts.”
Cathilea Robinett, executive vice president of the Center for Digital Government, added, “Each year, state and local governments continue to make strides towards implementing better access and more efficient web-delivery of public services. This year’s winners represent the very best in each category. The Center applauds all the honorees for their diligence and hard work.”
For more information on the Center for Digital Government, including a list of the 2008 ‘The Best of the Web’ winners, visit www.centerdigitalgov.com.
About the Center for Digital Government The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. For more than two decades, the Center has been providing public and private sector leaders with decision support, knowledge and opportunities to help them succeed in 21st century government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, Inc., a national publishing, event and research company focused on information technology in the public sector.
About RI.gov RI.gov is Rhode Island’s homepage and official Website (www.ri.gov), a collaborative effort between the state of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Interactive. The RI.gov site and services are developed and maintained by Rhode Island Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV).