Texas.gov Honored for eGovernment Innovation

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Texas.gov, the official website of the State of Texas, proudly celebrates its first anniversary as the recipient of five awards from institutions honoring superior efforts by government. Texas.gov received accolades from the eGovernment industry for its use of plain language, search-centric design, action-based navigation, Web 2.0 technologies, and outstanding marketing campaign.

Best of Texas Award – Texas.gov was presented the Best of Texas Project Excellence award for the Best Application Serving the Public by the Center for Digital Government. The Best of Texas awards program recognizes IT innovation by Texas state and local government and education organizations.
Web 2.0 State and Local Government Award – The Public Institute of Technology named Texas.gov a winner in the Web 2.0 State and Local Government Awards Program: Harnessing the Power of Civic Media. The Web 2.0 Recognition Program focuses on best practices and standards in the use of Web 2.0 and social media tools.
Gold Screen Award – Texas.gov received a Gold Screen Award of Excellence from the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). The NAGC salutes superior communication efforts of government agencies and recognizes the people that create them.
ClearMark Award – Texas.gov received the ClearMark Award for Website/Dynamic Media in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors. This recognition honors the use of plain language, recognition of prominent search, and clear direction. Texas.gov competed against the IRS, US Archives, and other programs for this award. Judges noted that federal entities subjected to Plain Language legislation should use Texas.gov as an example for achieving the goals of the mandate.
GovMarks Award – The GovMark Council recognized Texas.gov for its innovative state and local government marketing campaign. Each year, the GovMark Council recognizes industry or government organizations for their government technology marketing programs.

“When creating Texas.gov, DIR asked users what they expected from an online experience with state government, and most importantly—we listened. The feedback we received provided the foundation for Texas to emerge as a leader in innovation and create a transformative eGovernment experience. These awards are the fruits of diligence and excellence; and we are proud to accept this recognition,” said Doug Holt, Deputy Executive Director, Department of Information Resources.

Texas.gov offers a quick, convenient, and fuel-efficient way for Texans to access more than 1,000 online services, including Driver License Renewal, Vehicle Registration Renewal, Birth Certificate Orders, Concealed Handgun Licenses, and more. Users can also access Texas.gov on-the-go with iPhone and Android mobile applications.

About Texas.gov

Texas.gov is the official website of the state of Texas (http://www.texas.gov) and is overseen by the Texas Department of Information Resources. Texas.gov helps state and local government entities Web-enable their services and operates without tax funds through a public-private partnership between the state and Texas NICUSA, LLC. Texas NICUSA builds, operates, maintains, and markets Texas.gov and is part of eGovernment firm NIC’s (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies. Since launching in 2000, Texas.gov has securely processed more than 130 million financial transactions and collected over $17 billion on behalf of participating entities.

About NIC

NIC is the nation’s leading provider of official government websites, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company’s innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. Our popular self-funded solution allows government to put in-demand services online without using taxpayer funds. The NIC family of companies currently provides cost-effective eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies across the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.