If mobile devices are the next frontier for government outreach to the public, then Utah may have a leg up on most states by releasing two free applications -- Utah.gov and the Professional License Lookup -- on the iTunes store this week that are compatible on the iPhone and iPod touch.

The Utah.gov application contains a search field where users can look up contact information for state agencies, browse government services and keep abreast of the site's announcements. Meanwhile, the license lookup application allows users to check on the professional license status of doctors, nurses, contractors, accountants and others.

Both applications were released by NIC, which designs and manages Utah.gov and 20 other states' portals. The company develops e-government services for 3,900 government agencies at the local, state and federal levels

NIC previously released three other free, government-related iPhone applications, including an FBI "Most Wanted" tool.