AUSTIN, Texas, Jun 08, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The State of Texas today unveiled Texas.gov, the rebranded and redesigned official state website. When Texans log on to Texas.gov, they can search for information that matters to them, perform online transactions with 24/7 assistance, use an intuitive and effective search function, and access discussion forums designed to increase engagement between citizens and state government.
The new website (http://www.texas.gov ) offers an easy, convenient, and cost-effective way for Texans to access services and conduct business with state and local governments as well as higher education institutions. Delivering over 1,000 services, Texas.gov is the single, comprehensive online resource that makes government available to Texans anytime, anywhere.
"We want Texas.gov to be the first choice for Texas government information and services. We talked to thousands of Texans to understand what they wanted to see on our official website," said Karen Robinson, Executive Director of the Department of Information Resources. "With today's launch, we are responding to their requests while making government more approachable and giving Texans the opportunity to quickly and easily complete transactions online."
Key features of the new Texas.gov include:
-- A first-of-its-kind approach to streamlined government website design that features ample use of white space, popular content presented in an uncluttered way, straightforward and easy-to-understand content, and action-based navigation to help users quickly find the information they want;
-- The first state government implementation of a crowdsourced customer service tool that allows users and government agencies to contribute feedback, questions, answers, ideas and solutions in a collaborative environment. This implementation represents the first time that user-generated input appears in real-time on a state government website;
-- A search-driven user experience, including a highly prominent search box throughout the site, powered by Google Site Search to improve the quality and relevance of search results;
-- Enhanced content features, including near real-time activity stream functionality which highlights popular Texas.gov online services (e.g., "As many as 3,600 Texans renewed their driver licenses online at Texas.gov in one day");
-- Spanish site translation provided by a bilingual eGovernment expert live and in person, not a machine;
-- Web 2.0 features, including social media, subscriptions to alerts and notifications, photo sharing via Flickr, and a mobile phone application at http://www.texas.gov/mobile; and
-- Easy access to federal and state open data that promotes government transparency, user participation, and the efficient use of public resources.
Texas.gov is a completely self-funded program provided at no cost to taxpayers. Since inception, Texas.gov has processed over 118 million financial transactions and collected over $13 billion on behalf of participating entities.