Vol.1, Issue 1

Government Takes Advantage of New Standards and Technology Twenty years ago computers, fax machines, cellular phones and the Internet were quaint curiosities or pipe dreams. Today, the realities of new technological advances are transforming workplaces and homes around the world, and the government is no exception. Advanced technologies are changing the face of government and the way we do business. State and local governments across the country are showing their ingenuity by infusing technology into innovative services. Some examples include: In Arizona, citizens can now register their cars from the comfort of their own homes. IBM developed Arizona's online vehicle registration program, which operates on IBM's servers in exchange for $1 per transaction and 2% of revenues. Los Angeles County Government moved up nearly 80% of its $650 million in annual purchases to the Internet during 2000. The county expects the move to reduce the need for storage space and save $29 million over five years, while generating an additional $9.5 million from warehouse property sales. Colorado officials are exploring the option of allowing lawsuits to be filed electronically. In Boston, one can pay for dog licenses and parking tickets online. Clark County, Nevada, home of Las Vegas and the marriage capitol of the West, recently began selling copies of marriage licenses over the Web. In Indianapolis, citizens can enjoy a variety of online services through their web site, including opportunities to pay parking tickets and apply for electrical permits without going to City Hall. Their site even allows citizens to access and rework the city budget and submit their recommendations to the mayor. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services is disposing of surplus government property by advertising it on a popular online auction site. Within five years, New York City officials hope to offer a full range of Internet options, from paying taxes to submitting construction plans. Today, numerous government agencies also allow bidding on municipal contracts via the Internet. Compliance with these contracts often requires the use of government and non-government standards. These standards must be easily accessible to meet changing technological needs. Through the use of the Global Engineering Documents Web site www.global.ihs.com and the Information Handling Services (IHS) Web site www.ihs.com, contractors can quickly locate and purchase the standards they need to comply with government contracts. They can also subscribe to numerous logistics-based services such as HaystackÒ and CatalogXpressÔ to locate specific parts and ordering information for items required by related specifications. Seeking to simplify processes and encourage competition, the government is definitely stepping up its efforts to take advantage of new standards and technology. The application of the Internet has made the movement of goods and services exponentially faster and cheaper and unleashed remarkable political, social and economic changes for decades to come.