August 29, 2006

Lansing, MI – The State of Michigan’s official web site has been named as the best in the country by the California-based Center for Digital Government.  Michigan.gov received the number one ranking as part of the annual “Best of the Web” competition.  The Center for Digital Government is recognized as a leading national research and advisory institute on information technology. 

“This is a testament to the innovative technology professionals we have in state government that worked so hard to make our site the model for the country,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.  “We set a goal to make state government more accessible for citizens and friendlier for businesses and this award shows the great progress we have made.”

Michigan.gov offers access to over 86 unique government agencies and provides over 200 interactive on-line services.   Some of the innovations that contributed to the “Best of the Web” award include:

• Foreign language navigation which allows information access for citizens whose primary language is not English
• Text only functionality for sight impaired users and the ability to easily enlarge text sizes
• The ability to access Michigan.gov through wireless devices, with more than one million individuals viewing content on portable devices
• A “podcast” site that allows streamed media to be downloaded to portable players, a great mechanism for reaching young audiences
• Multi-channeled customer support, including help and contact features supplemented by a fully staffed 24x7 call center

“Our 2006 awards showcase the best state and local government Web sites and on-line applications in the nation,” said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government.  “Michigan set the mark for delivering innovative, efficient and effective state government services to their many constituencies and we congratulate them.”

Some of the other features that helped earn the award included:

• A single electronic interface for processing credit card and debit payments via the Internet
• A nationally recognized Internet mapping capability with a wealth of geographical information available for public consumption
• Ability for corporations to file annual reports on-line, eliminating the paper workflow
• Ability for employers to e-register for business tax identification, eliminating a burdensome paper application process
• A statewide grants management system providing information and applications for over 200 grant programs in state government
• The Michigan Timely Application and Permitting Service (MiTAPS), which provides for all permitting information and applications electronically in one location and dramatically speeds up the permitting process for businesses
• Inclusion of vital information about Michigan travel through the link to the popular Michigan.org site

“We thank our partners at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for providing access to the valuable information on Michigan.org through the state portal,” said Teri Takai, Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology.  “This award simply wouldn’t have been possible without the great collaboration and partnerships we have experienced across state government.”

Michigan also worked with local units of government, helping local communities build their own web sites through a collaboration project with students from various Michigan universities.  Michigan was followed by Maine, Utah, Virginia and Arkansas to round out the top five sites in the country.  This marks the first time that Michigan has received the Best of the Web award.