Tennessee.Gov in Top Ten in State Web Technology

NASHVILLE – The state of Tennessee has once again received high marks for innovative and effective use of information technology through its website, www.tn.gov. The Center for Digital Government’s 2010 Digital States Survey scored the state in the top ten across the nation, citing the state’s efforts toward technology consolation, reducing technology costs and improving IT security.  Tennessee ranked first in the nation in the area of public safety, and fourth among U.S. states in the area Health and Human Services for the state’s effort in the eHealth arena.  

“Using technology to improve the efficiency of government has been a priority, and we’ve consistently ranked among the best in the nation for our accomplishments in this area,” Governor Phil Bredesen said. “Our state recognizes the importance of implementing new technologies that better serve residents and provide important information through electronic means.”  

According to the survey, Tennessee received top marks in public safety for its Integrated Criminal Justice Portal, which provides critical "real-time" information to state and local police.  Criminal justice and law enforcement users have access to a variety of systems to identify individuals, conduct criminal and pretrial investigations, perform background checks, determine current location of probationers and parolees, and obtain driver history and vehicle registration information. The state is now planning enhancements and increased access to more than 400 criminal justice agencies statewide. 

“We are constantly looking for new ways to bring state government to Tennesseans through Tennessee.gov, and to take information about the state to anyone, anywhere at any time,” Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz said.  “State government today is more accessible than ever before, and the results of this survey confirm that we are ahead of the curve.”

The state’s website consistently ranks at the top of national lists based on technology, online services and web design.  For a list of awards, go to www.tennesseeanytime.org/web-awards/. 

State chief information officers and senior executives from across the nation participated in the survey which benchmarks progression in digital government.

The Center for Digital Government, www.centerdigitalgov.com, is a division of e.Republic, Inc., a national publishing, event and research company focused on information technology for the state and local government and education markets.