Today the Texas Department of Information Resources released comments and additional information on the state's e-government progress.
"I have set a priority goal of providing citizens with greater access to government services while reducing service delivery costs, and TexasOnline is a key component in meeting this goal," said Governor Rick Perry. "I am proud that our efforts have been recognized as best in the nation."
Larry Olson
"It has been a productive year for TexasOnline.com," said Texas Chief Technology Officer Larry Olson. "We have worked hard to ensure that the services to Texans are the best in the country and the recognition of our work is always appreciated. The unique public/private partnership that we have with BearingPoint has allowed the state to build almost 800 services online without any direct government investment."
Study findings conclude: "Texas was the highest-rated state in our 2006 study. The TexasOnline portal site has a simple, effective navigation system and an exhaustive list of over 500 online services contained within the state's Web sites -- the most of all sites assessed in this study. The e- services are divided into 15 categories and organized alphabetically, allowing for quick access to desired services, including online sales tax payment, vehicle registration renewals, and searchable license records databases. In addition, Texas features audio and video clips on the majority of its Web sites, as well as a Spanish version of nearly every page."
The recognition from the Taubman Center follows a recent report from Forrester Research that names TexasOnline as leading state government solutions for Spanish speakers. That report states, "Texas alone provides a full Spanish-language solutions for its online constituents."
Over the past year several new programs have been added to TexasOnline.com including access to vital records and a business portal that breaks down the process of starting a business in Texas to four easy steps. Recently, an emergency preparedness portal debuted in time for hurricane season. This portal is designed to assist Texans in preparing for natural disasters and provides information such as weather updates, accessing government resources, and evacuation routes.
"TexasOnline is a public-private partnership with the State of Texas and BearingPoint that offers one of the nations most advanced and robust citizen- services Web portals" noted Gary Miglicco, Vice President of eGovernment Services, BearingPoint. "BearingPoint has worked very closely with the state's Department of Information Resources on building, maintaining and growing TexasOnline over the past six years and to be ranked number one in the country is truly great recognition."
