IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Homeland Security Department’s proposed People Access Security Services cards, or Pass cards, are intended to serve as a low-cost alternative to passports to meet the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Secretary Michael Chertoff has said that the initiative will be fully in effect by summer of 2008, requiring all travelers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean to carry passports, Pass cards or other approved documents.

You also can play it smart when dealing with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and save yourself a trip to the DMV or limit the amount of time you spend there.

One way to avoid DMV lines is to make appointments. The DMV started arranging appointments by telephone in 1984. Today, the fastest way to get an appointment is to use the DMV Web site.

World class skiing, incredible national parks, large families, an affinity for green Jell-O -- these are the things most often associated with Utah.

The Lt. Governor’s Office today announces that Utah is one of the first states in the nation to implement an online Voter Registration program. Anyone with a recent Utah driver license is able to complete the free online process at http://voter.utah.gov. The new service is designed to increase voter registration by simplifying the process, and eliminate downloading and printing of the Voter Registration form. Utah residents without a recent driver license, may still print, sign, and mail in the completed form.

“As part of a continued effort on behalf of the Lt. Governor’s Office, I am excited about the new Online Voter Registration Web site,” said Lt. Governor Greg Bell. “Our goal is to get as many citizens as possible out to the polls and voting. By increasing the ease and convenience of voter registration, we hope more voters will participate in the election process.”

The Utah Department of Public Safety Driver License Division recently announced the release of one of the nation’s first government applications developed specifically for the iPad. The release coincides with the recent launch of both the iPad and the new iTunes iPad-specific store.

The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces the launch of a new Media Portal web application developed exclusively for communicating current news, information, and alerts to media outlets about public safety activities. The first-of-its-kind site provides a comprehensive view into current statewide law enforcement activities and includes sections for news releases and multimedia downloads. The site also incorporates pushed alerts to RSS and SMS feeds via Twitter on breaking news and developing stories. The portal will be available as a secure login for authorized members of the press only. For more information, visit publicsafety.utah.gov/dps/pio.html.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrator’s and win this award for our continued citizen outreach efforts,” said Brian Hyer, Public Information Officer for the Department of Public Safety. “The new media portal helps us communicate much more effectively and proactively, which helps us advance our mission to serve and protect the citizens of Utah.”

Last month the Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), received the GovMark Council award for Best State and Local Marketing, as well as the Best Overall Marketing Program for its “On the Spot” marketing initiative. The awards recognize agencies for their excellence in government technology marketing efforts. A representative from Utah accepted the awards at an event June 28 in Washington, D.C.

The data center consolidation reduced the number of data centers in use by 26 Utah agencies from 35 to two: the state's primary data center in Salt Lake City and a failover site off of the Wasatch Range earthquake zone. From the planning phase to project completion, the consolidation took 18 months -- an aggressive time frame, state Chief Technology Officer Dave Fletcher told Government Technology.

Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., proudly announces the new and improved state Web site, www.Utah.gov. "We are very excited to bring Utahns even more great ways to interact with the government, and I invite everyone to go online and take a look."

This iteration is the fifth redesign in six years. Launched in May, Utah's new state Web site boasts new content about volunteering and democracy, a dynamic news page, and, as always, 24/7 customer service.

It's official: Utah has one of the best business Web sites in the nation. The state's official business portal (http://business.Utah.gov), took home second place among government-to-business online services in the 2004 Best of the Web competition for Digital Government Achievement.

Starting this month, anyone visiting www.utah.gov can chat with a state customer service representative in real-time on their computer 24-hours a day, seven days a week, in a first of its kind service in the nation, state Chief Information Officer Val Oveson said.

With the help of a new Web site, Utahns can now easily search and locate details about public meetings. By visiting the new Public Meeting Notice Web site at www.utah.gov/pmn, citizens can search by topic or government organization and find public meetings scheduled throughout the state of Utah. The site allows visitors to access the details associated with both past and upcoming public meetings, including the address, date, time, and agenda.

Over the past two years, www.Utah.gov has been honored with an unprecedented sixteen awards, recognizing innovation in government technology.

In 2007, the Web site was awarded first place in the prestigious Best of the Web competition, and in 2008 it was ranked first in the Digital States Survey, both awarded by the Center for Digital Government. In 2007 and 2008, the GovMark Council awarded the State Construction Registry on Utah.gov with the “Best Overall Marketing Program” as well as the “Best State and Local Marketing Program.”

Utah’s Office of the Lieutenant Governor today announced a new notary service is now available on the state’s official website at http://notary.utah.gov. The new site allows for a notary exam to be taken online, allowing individuals to become a notary or renew a notary commission.

Once applicants feel prepared for the test, they can complete the online process in about an hour. The site also provides a new “notary study guide” that can be used before and during the test, and includes the “Top Ten Mistakes of Notaries Public.” The online tools assist notaries in obtaining knowledge of what he or she is permitted to do as a notary and how to properly perform these duties.

Launching a new business is challenging for anybody. But in Utah, registering that new business with the state was time-consuming and frustrating. To complete registration, new companies were required to physically file documents with up to seven different government entities. The process often took weeks or months.

Not anymore.