With the launch of mobile.idaho.gov last month, Idaho became one of just three states to feature a mobile version its official Web site.

However, mobile.idaho.gov is unique because it maintains some of the same aesthetics and functionality of its regular Web site instead of just producing a text-only version for use with mobile phones and personal digital assistants. For example, the new mobile site transforms the Idaho Road Report site (along with other pages linked to and from mobile.idaho.gov) into a mobile-friendly format, complete with graphics.

People with phone and Internet-enabled mobile devices have the added ability of searching, clicking, and calling any state employee without dialing. mobile.idaho.gov also incorporates the state's new Google-powered search engine and provides text alternatives for PDF links.

Idaho's Web administrator, Access Idaho, designed mobile.idaho.gov to be compatible with most popular handheld mobile devices and optimized it for Windows-based models.

California and Virginia are the other two states known to have active mobile Web sites.
KW