NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
	Contact: Mike Sponhour SC Budget and Control Board 803-734-2320 msponho@oed.sc.gov Jeff McCartney SC.GOV 803-771-0131 jeff.mccartney@portal.sc.gov

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – November 1, 2005 – South Carolinians now have a dynamic new place to interact with government – without spending any tax dollars.

This morning, www.SC.gov was introduced as the new official web site of the state of South Carolina. The new Web portal includes a fresh design, better navigation, and vastly improved tools to help citizens and businesses find the government information and services they need fast. As with South Carolina’s previous portal, SC.gov is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

"This new portal is one of the first steps in enabling South Carolina government to deliver services to the public in a convenient and cost-effective way," said Barbara Teusink, Deputy Chief Information Officer of the State Budget and Control Board. "Our goal with SC.gov is to be the first place where people come for all their governmental needs. We could not have gotten this far without the tremendous support of Governor Sanford and his team."

With the navigational changes that have been made to SC.gov, users can find information in a variety of ways. Information is categorized by traditional agencies like education, health or public safety as well by grouping commonly requested services for residents, businesses, and state employees. SC.gov also offers several new features, including:

How Do I? – Information on common subjects such as taxes, starting a business, or getting a license can be accessed through the How Do I? section that categorizes answers to some of the most frequently requested areas of interest.

Google Search – SC.gov uses Google, one of the nation’s leading search engine technologies, to help generate fast search results.

Help Center – Customer service is available by phone, e-mail, and SC.gov’s real-time Live Help online service.

Photo Gallery – Professional and amateur photographers across the state may upload photos taken across South Carolina to be considered for inclusion in SC.gov’s online rotating photo gallery.

The new portal is one of the first products of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and South Carolina Interactive, a Columbia-based subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC. Look for more announcements from South Carolina Interactive in coming months as it rolls out new services that will make government easier to use.

About SC.gov
SC.gov is the official Web site of the state of South Carolina (www.SC.gov) and a collaborative effort between the state and South Carolina Interactive to Web-enable the state’s information services. SC.gov was built and is managed by South Carolina Interactive, a Columbia-based 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 2,000 state and local agencies that serve more than 60 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at www.nicusa.com.

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