Maine Secretary of State Recognized for eGovernment Creativity and Excellence
AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Secretary of State has been recognized nationally as an eGovernment leader by providing individuals and businesses with a substantial number of electronic services through www.sosonline.org. In the past month, SOSonline.org has been honored for eGovernment excellence in two prestigious competitions.
The Secretary of State's website received honors in Washington on October 27th as a winner of Post Newsweek Tech Media's 2004 Government Computer News (GCN) Awards. From a field of 116 nominations, the Secretary of State's SOSonline.org was chosen as one of 10 winners by a panel of editors from GCN and Washington Technology for innovative IT accomplishments. GCN and Washington Technology are leading sources of news and information about technology in government.
Additionally, the Center for Digital Government--an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government-recently awarded Maine's Secretary of State 5th place out of more than 200 government entries in the 2004 'Best of Web' Digital Achievement Award. SOSonline.org was named one of the best G2B (Government to Business) websites in the nation.
"Enhancing access to government information and services has been a top priority of my Department. We have sought to strengthen and transform the kind of relationship individuals and businesses can enjoy with state government," Secretary Gwadosky commented. "One way this can be accomplished is through the use of technology, and I am proud that the Center for Digital Government and GCN have recognized our eGovernment initiatives."
"Get Online, Not in Line" is the mantra of SOSonline.org. The award-winning website allows individuals and businesses to get things done in a way that is not only easy, but also convenient and cost-effective. SOSonline.org is a service of the Department of the Secretary of State, in partnership with InforME, the State of Maine's private-sector partner and official web portal provider. All online services and official State of Maine web pages can be accessed from the state portal: www.Maine.gov (http://www.maine.gov/).
