Two State of Maine eGovernment Services Recognized in National Award Program

AUGUSTA, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two successful eGovernment services in the state of Maine -- the Department of Corrections Online Money Deposit Service and the Judicial Branch Electronic Court Fine Payment Services -- contributed to NIC, Inc. being honored with the prestigious Best Fit Integrator Award for Exceptional Service and Modernization in Portals and Online Services from the Center for Digital Government. NIC is the parent company of Maine Information Network, the State of Maine’s private sector eGovernment portal provider.

“I am pleased at this recognition of Maine’s eGovernment efforts and I congratulate NIC and Maine Information Network on this award.“”

“Electronic services are enabling government to provide convenient services to the public in a cost-effective and streamlined way,” commented Secretary of State Charles Summers. “I am pleased at this recognition of Maine’s eGovernment efforts and I congratulate NIC and Maine Information Network on this award.“

The Maine Corrections Money Deposit Service, online at www.maine.gov/online/correctionsdeposit/, developed in partnership with Maine Information Network for the state, launched in December 2010. The online service enables friends and families of offenders to deposit money electronically into a prisoner’s or resident’s phone or trust account, allowing the prisoner or resident to call home or to purchase commissary items. Prior to this service, funds had to be mailed to the appropriate correctional facility for manual processing and disbursement to the individuals’ accounts.

“The new online service has already been highly successful, with more than 3,500 deposits made since December,” said Jody Breton, Department of Corrections Associate Commissioner. “We are very pleased with the results, and appreciative of the work done by Maine Information Network and by the State’s Office of Information Technology on this project.”

The Maine Judicial Branch partnered with Maine Information Network in 2009 to create dual phone-based (IVR) and web-based court fines payment services, available online at www.maine.gov/courtfines/ or by phone at 866-729-8499. Users can make a full or partial payment toward their Maine state court fine via Web or telephone. Prior to the electronic services, defendants had to appear at the courthouse to make a payment, mail a check or money order to the court, or call in to speak with a Court Clerk to pay over the phone.

James T. Glessner, State Court Administrator said, "The 350 percent increase in online and IVR usage in the past year makes clear that the electronic services are a real convenience to the public, and we are grateful for the partnership with Maine Information Network, without whom this could not have been accomplished."

The honor was given to NIC by the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Best Fit Integrator Recognition Awards is the Center's award program for government to recognize its private sector partners, those companies who work closely with government to tailor solutions to suit the unique needs of government.

NIC was recognized for seven services developed in partnership with six different states, including the two services from Maine. Both of the Maine services were developed and are operated by Maine Information Network at no cost to the state.

About Maine Information Network

Maine Information Network, LLC, is an Augusta, Maine based company and part of the eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies. Through the InforME (Information Resource of Maine) public-private partnership between the state of Maine and Maine Information Network, MIN operates Maine.gov (http://www.Maine.gov), the official Web portal of the state of Maine. Maine.gov is the award-winning portal to more than 300,000 pages of state government content and 1,400 online services.

About NIC

NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV) 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. The NIC family of companies provides 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.