IDAHO NATIONAL TRANSPORTER Idaho
Transportation
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Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced Monday (Feb. 23) the state of Idaho’s official Web site has a completely new appearance and greatly improved functionality. The revamped site offers an enhanced, more accessible design to make it easier to find state government information and services that visitors to the site need. The idea is to make Idaho’s state government more streamlined and user-friendly. “With the growing volume of online information and services, we needed a Web site that’s better organized and helps citizens and businesses get things done,” Governor Otter said. “The experts who put these things together tell me the new look is only the tip of the iceberg. The real difference is the features that deliver information more quickly and make visitors want to come back again and again.” Among the site’s new features are popular Web 2.0 technologies like video and photo sharing plus social messaging. Additional services such as RSS feeds and enhanced mapping tools also have been added. Use of the state Web site to conduct business is continuing to increase. Last year, the Web site securely processed more than 4.6 million online service transactions, up from 1.8 million in 2007. Popular online services include the offender database search, vehicle registration renewal; personal and business tax filing and payment; motor carrier permit, registration and endorsement purchasing; UCC lien searches, filings and amendments; and professional license renewals. While the http://idaho.gov/ site was designed to give visitors access to the most-used services, it also provides an expanded area to highlight a different state agency each month. Within the next several months, plans include moving toward a more data-driven organization tool that automatically pushes popular items to the top of listings. The new design even offers improved functionality for the visually impaired, with the option of viewing a text-only version of the site. For comparison purposes, a link to an image of the previous design is posted on the new site. Published 2-27-9 |