NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
	Contact: Val Oveson Chief Information Officer Governor's Office 801-538-1758 Amy Sawyer Utah Interactive 801-983-0275 amy@utahinteractive.org

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – June 16, 2004 – Life in the digital information age is often touted as being super-connected and super-fast. But sometimes the speed and hyper-connectivity of the Internet can lack the human touch. Thankfully, www.Utah.gov, the official Web site of the state of Utah, has reintroduced that human touch to its site: 24/7 live, human, help. Launched last summer, Live Help has served thousands of Utahns searching for answers online. This year, Governor Olene Walker has honored the initiative with a CIO Award, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments in eGovernment initiatives by state agencies, local government agencies, and private sector partners.

A collaborative effort between Utah Interactive and Utah State Information Technology Services, Live Help is offered on every Utah.gov page for easy access. Utah is the only state in the nation to offer around-the-clock, instant help with its 24/7 Live Help service. Users simply need to click on the "Live Help" icon at the top of any state Web page and they will be connectedly instantly to a human operator with whom they can have a real-time "chat."

What do visitors to Utah.gov most often chat about? "We're frequently asked questions about state symbols—what's the Utah state bird, state flower, etc. School children from other states use Live Help as a jumping off point for their research on Utah," says Elizabeth Edwards, customer service manager for Utah.gov. "Of course," Edwards adds, "We don't do their research for them; we simply direct them to the appropriate section of the portal. Still, they are very cute."

But Live Help is not just for homework. Some visitors to Utah.gov are in serious situations. "We've had questions from folks about to become homeless and who are looking for resources to help them find shelter," explains Dan Gallegos, call center manager at state ITS. "We've even had Live Help users ask us about getting health insurance for a sick child. Live Help is truly a human interface between the community and the government."

Most of the Live Chats handled by Edwards, Gallegos, and their staffs are from citizens trying to navigate the maze of state government, whether on their lunch break or during a bout of insomnia at 2 a.m. Most visitors to Utah.gov are simply looking for information on which state agency they need to contact for what service or they want to know how to perform a specific task—like obtaining a duplicate vehicle title—online. Using the Live Help feature enables them to ask their questions to another sentient being.

"Technology is a powerful way for government to connect to its constituents," says Val Oveson, Utah's Chief Information Officer. "And our goal is to put more and more of Utah government online, making it accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But it's the Live Help that really cinches the deal for the community. Providing around-the-clock help is an absolutely essential component of online government."

Consider the deal cinched: Live Help consistently receives high marks from those who use it. After a Live Help session, visitors to Utah.gov can submit a feedback form in which they rate the operator who aided them. Utah's Live Help operators routinely get ratings of "Very Good" and "Excellent" from visitors. "Our team is well-trained, and I'm proud of them," says team leader Edwards.

Whether it's for the convenience or the top-notch service, users are flocking to Live Help. For example, in the month of May alone, the Utah.gov customer service team handled 794 live chats.

It's because of numbers like these that the 24/7 Live Help initiative was honored by Governor Walker with a CIO Award for increasing access to government. "We want the Utah community to get what it needs from state government," Oveson says. "And Live Help facilitates direct and informative exchanges between government and the citizens."

About Utah.gov
Utah.gov is the state of Utah's official Web portal (www.Utah.gov) and was ranked first in the nation in the Center for Digital Government's 2003 Best of the Web competition. The portal is a collaborative effort between the state of Utah and Utah Interactive, LLC. It was built and is marketed, operated, and maintained by Utah Interactive, a Salt Lake City-based wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV).

About NIC
NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 1,500 state and local agencies that serve more than 51 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at www.nicusa.com.

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