For the first time in state history, Maryland’s state government website was named the best in the country by the Center for Digital Government’s Best of Web competition.
The Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government, recognizes city, county, and state governments for their work engaging citizens online and providing cutting-edge Web services with The Best of the Web awards.
“From day one, our administration has been committed to providing Marylanders with the highest level of customer service across every platform, from in-person to electronic interactions,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “We strive to make Maryland.gov the most efficient and user-friendly portal for more than 84 million customers to access vital information and services, and being honored as the best state government website in the country is recognition of our tireless efforts.”
Maryland.gov provides Maryland residents access to multiple agency websites, as well as online government services such as car registration renewals, vehicle emissions testing information, and business registrations. Residents are also able to pay for various government fees online and find information on upcoming events sponsored by the state government.
Hogan’s redesign focused on enabling a more seamless mobile experience for more than 42 million mobile visitors.
To achieve its goals, Maryland awarded a contract to NIC, a provider of innovative digital government solutions and secure payment processing, in 2011–specifically working with NIC Maryland.
NIC Maryland builds, operates, maintains, and markets Maryland’s official state website and its digital government services. NIC Maryland is a collaborative public/private partnership managed by the Department of Information Technology and NIC Maryland. Since 2011, NIC Maryland has developed dozens of eGov products and services for the state.
The site utilizes Enterprise Widget Platform, which provides state agencies with centralized and standardized code. The standardized code enables rapid development and deployment of new widgets. These widgets include NearYou, Online Services, Google Site Search, and Header, which are available across state agencies expanding the state’s open data platform.
“Maryland.gov’s digital services platform is truly an enterprise solution offering global functionality for use by all state agencies without compromising the ability to be customized. The platform promotes consistent branding standards aligning with the state’s strategic IT master plan,” said David Garcia, Secretary of Department of Information Technology “It’s this type of innovation that makes Maryland.gov an award winning site.”
NIC Maryland developed the Maryland.gov website at no cost to the state by using the self-funded eGovernment services contract with the State Department of Information Technology (DoIT).
