Citizens & businesses participate in the 10-month transformation of www.Utah.gov

Utah's effort to build the nation's most customer-friendly state Web portal did not happen in a vacuum.

Citizens and businesses across the state were involved with the 10-month transformation of www.Utah.gov. The result is an enhanced official state Web site that offers unique new features and dramatically enhanced service.

"The new Utah.gov is the result of a great partnership between government, citizens, and businesses across the state," said Governor Mike Leavitt. "Utahns told us what they wanted to see on our state's new Web site, and I'm confident that our enhanced portal will exceed their expectations."

The site now boasts online services and innovations not commonly available on other state government sites. In response to feedback from constituents, Utah.gov has introduced live online customer service on a 24/7 basis. The state portal also features online help that links to other state departments for a seamless service experience, a regularly updated citizen poll, and up-to-the-minute news and content updates that are powered by database-driven and XML-based technologies.

Val Oveson, Utah Chief Information Officer, emphasized the importance of making real-time online customer support a reality at Utah.gov. "As a government technology leader, Utah state government needs to continue to align its business practices with the 24/7 real-time reality of the Internet -- even in times of tight budgets. We can't put government services online and go home at five o'clock and expect citizens to be properly served.

"Technology has helped us re-evaluate how we do business and also how we can eliminate barriers between government and the citizen," continued Oveson. "We must be open for business and offering real-time customer service and support at all hours. The new Utah.gov and its round-the-clock customer service innovations move us closer to that goal."

To further reduce barriers between government and its citizenry, Utah.gov has introduced a new online citizen poll. "Voice Your Opinion" is a digital democracy initiative designed to give citizens the opportunity to cast their vote on timely issues and topics. All votes are immediately tabulated and displayed in a results screen so that participants can see instantly how their opinion compares with other respondents. The poll question will change regularly along with other dynamic features on the front page.

Much of the content on the front page -- including "Featured Online Services," "What's New," "Quick Links," "Utah News," and the "Voice Your Opinion" sections -- has the ability to change. These changes occur because the content elements on the front page of the Utah.gov site are database-driven and have the potential to be updated when the Web browser is refreshed. This technology creates an efficient way to provide continuously varying content and a steady flow of new information so Utah.gov is not only more exciting but also more likely to be visited on a regular basis.

Utah has long operated one of the nation's most acclaimed state Web portals. For the last two years, the state's eGovernment services were ranked seventh in the nation by the Center for Digital Government and The Progress & Freedom Foundation. "Utah.gov was already a great site, but we wanted to make it even better," said Amy Sawyer, general manager of Utah.gov. "Our research and collaboration with constituents across the state has allowed us to build a state Web site that sets new standards for online customer service and ease of use."