General Manager’s Report

October/November, 2000

REPORT PAGE #

Management Report 3

Technical Report 8

Financial Report 9

New/Outstanding Issues11

Project Updates

Of the three projects highlighted in the last General Manger’s Report. One is complete, the one is in the final phase of testing, the third in the final stages of development.

Professional License Renewal —

• Available at www.state.me.us/pfr/olr or www.maineprofessionalreg.org
• 92 license types renewable online with a credit card
• No other state offers so many license types renewable online at one location
• Still expanding the website
• Will add other renewable license types from other agencies under a similar model, creating a portal within a portal for all professionals who require licensure by the state. This portal will be located at mepros.org or meprosonline.org

Rapid Renewal —

• In final phase of testing
• Response and cooperation from all ten pilot towns still excellent
• First inter-branch e-commerce application for state and local government
• Application is so complex, testing has taken 6 weeks and is still ongoing

Interactive Corporations Service

• In the final phases of development.
• Pre-marketing has begun, meeting with several potential user groups to forecast the application and urge banks and law first to subscribe prior to application launch.

We are sending out renewal notices for those subscribers who have been with us for a year. WE are monitoring our statistics for renewals and may use this group to do some additional customer satisfaction surveying.

InforME has had several successful meetings with IF&W to accelerate the completion of the SLA. The electronic storefront is nearly complete where users will be able to purchase hunting and fishing merchandise as well as hunting and fishing licenses.

The InforME offices are expanding, both in size and space. Our office building in downtown Augusta has a lower level open for expansion. At 9 staff members, we were very crowded in our current space. Since we are now expanding to 10, we need additional space. Also, NIC has requested that we host some of the new staff in training. The office expansion should be complete by January 2001.

At this month’s meeting, an updated organizational chart of InforME will be shared with the Board. The item came up for discussion last month, so we thought the Board would appreciate an update on a visual representation of our current staff.

InforME will be generating three reports based on three customer surveys. Each survey targets a specific customer base. Our customer groups are State web portal visitors

(http://www.state.me.us), Agency partners, and eGov subscribers. This month we will complete the report on the level of satisfaction of the State web portal visitors. This

report will be based on the portal feedback forms.

As a service to Maine licensed professionals, InforME researching the possibility of conducting a telemarketing outreach campaign to notify professionals of the online renewal resource.

We continue to offer state webmasters on site Adobe GoLive training upon request.

This new website has been launched and the first renewal transaction was successful. We continue to fine tune details at the agency’s request. Phase II, "find a licensed professional", discussions have been completed and project steps defined. However, the issue of privacy has halted development of phase II for the time being.

We have met with each of the four bureaus to discuss the template and to receive feedback for revisions. Revisions have been completed. We are waiting on further feedback from Department. We continue to revise and review.

Initial information gathering with the agency team has been held, followed by the project quote and its acceptance. Team will begin work on this piece.

The website launched November 13^th.

Initial meeting with the agency team has been held. Agency team has begun their initial work on information gathering.

The estimated delivery and cost quote has been delivered to agency and accepted. Work will begin shortly.

The website template is complete. Training and sign off are expected shortly.

Met with WIC program team to continue consultation phase.

• Home website redesign: Waiting on Department team.
• MSECCA website design: first version complete. Waiting for feedback. (free)

Website is in its final design phase before being given to the Department team to content fill.

Fall foliage was a big success this year with ample positive feedback from website visitors.

Initial meeting held with Department team.

Initial meeting to discuss redesign completed. Agency team is gathering information.

All day photography session has been temporarily postponed; we are waiting on an equipment order.

We have met with the Maine Arts Commission to discuss the redesign of their current website. The Commission team is completing the workbook.

Discussion phase to complete:

• Home page redesign and logo design
• Storefront design and shopping cart development

IF&W Storefront

Interactive Corporations Search

Annual Report

MePros.org

10/10/00 — Met with Secretary of State staff to create a marketing plan for the new CEC services as they are delivered.

10/11/00 — Partnered with Coordinated School Health Program to display the new website designed by InforME at the Maine Health Conference.

10/12/00 – Maine Business Expo – participated in a tradeshow serving businesses in Maine.

10/13/00 — Visited the Waterville city hall to continue Rapid Renewal training

10/17/00 — State Webmaster Group Meeting — coordinated guest speaker to cover the topic of ADA compliancy with web design.

10/18-10/20 — Maine Municipal Association Conference — assisted Secretary Gwadosky and office with presentation and demonstration of the Rapid Renewal Service.

10/19/00 – Maine Association of Realtors Meeting – presentation & demonstration of Professional License Renewal.

10/24/00 — Met with Violation team to discuss the FRS

10/27/00 — Met with State Treasures and American Express representative to discuss merchant fees and the possibility of a contract with American Express that would consider the State and InforME in one contract.

11/1/00 – Maine Bankers/Lawyers Revised Article 9 meeting – meeting was sponsored by the Secretary of State’s office. InforME was invited to display to familiarize these user groups with upcoming services.

11/9/00 – Community Bankers Association — presentation to retail lending committee

• Rapid Renewal has progressed into beta test, with over 40 vehicle registrations processed to date. The basic data and funds flow is functioning as planned, and we are continuing to test the system prior to entering the operational phase of the pilot program. User feedback has been almost universally positive.
• IF&W merchandise storefront nearing completion; new credit-card merchant account acquired for system use. Agency administrative interface is the major outstanding component.
• FRS for Violation Service has been finalized. IVR strategy has been chosen. We will be purchasing a new machine to handle the service in-house. This new machine will also perform the duties of the BMV fax-back as well as 53’ trailer permit fax service.
• Due to varying circumstances including a relocation, the Department of Conservation has chosen to wait until after the January season opening to make any major changes to the campground reservation system. We will be making some slight adjustments to the current application form, and will work with the agency to determine the depth of the changes they are looking to make during the Spring of 2001.

• New NT server to assume role of Janus ordered; delivery expected the week of 11/13. Migration plan is in place for November and December, in full coordination with BIS and the Webmasters Group.
• Interactive Voice Response hardware purchased for integration into a new IVR system to replace the current Centurion system. The Centurion system is antiquated and is inaccessible to InforME staff for adjustment, programming, and service.

• Refinement among the staffing of the technical team continues. We are currently interviewing for Programming Associate position. This team member will have sole responsibility for the Special Request Service.

• 53’ trailers temporary permitting service
• Revised privacy statement
• Customer Satisfaction Survey Results
• Violations Pricing Update

• Project Matrix
• Organizational Chart
• Revised Privacy Statement
• Customer Satisfaction Survey