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Mississippi E-Gov Services Save $1 Million Annually

Self-funded model brings savings on infrastructure, payment processing and website maintenance.

E-government is a somewhat dated word. But that's a testament to its success, not its failings. When it comes to providing government services and information to the public, e-government is just the way people around the world now interact with government agencies. But as with anything, there is always room for improvement.

In 2011, Mississippi awarded a contract for self-funded online government to NIC, in order to improve services and a website that had been upgraded only once since 2001. Mississippi Interactive, an NIC subsidiary, rolled out electronic payment processing, redesigned the MS.gov portal and beefed up online services.

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In 2012, the state won a Best of the Web award from the Center for Digital Government (owned by e.Republic, Inc., also the parent company of Government Technology) and according to state CIO Craig Orgeron, MS.gov has so far garnered 16 awards.

This week, state officials announced that in addition to the awards, the e-government improvements have delivered a tangible return on investment. According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, the state has saved about $1 million per year in infrastructure, payment processing and website maintenance costs since the upgrade. In addition, citizens are increasingly accessing the site from mobile devices, and in 2013, the state launched six mobile apps to take advantage of that.

Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.