NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
	Contact: Sloane Wright Alabama Interactive (866) 353-EGOV sloane@alabamainteractive.org

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – November 29, 2005 – For the second consecutive year, the state of Alabama’s official Web site (www.alabama.gov) has been ranked among the top ten state Web sites in the annual Best of Web competition. Now in its tenth year, the Best of the Web competition evaluates government Web sites based on their innovation, Web-based delivery of public service, efficiency, economy, and functionality. The 2005 Best of the Web competition was conducted by the Center for Digital Government, an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government.

"The state of Alabama is honored to once again receive recognition from the Center for Digital Government as being one of the nation’s top ten best public sector Web sites," said Jim Burns, Alabama’s Chief Information Officer. "This ranking is a good indication of the strides that Alabama has continued to make in using technology to make state government more efficient and more accessible to the citizens and businesses of Alabama."

Alabama.gov offers a variety of government-related services and information twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Alabamians can find everything from current statewide weather conditions to state judicial and legislative information. The portal also provides more than 100 interactive services that allow users to complete entire personal and business transactions online. Thanks to the addition of these new services and information, Alabama.gov is on track to double its annual online visitor count from 1.5 million in 2004 to almost 3 million in 2005.

"Portals have proven themselves as the front line of government transparency and responsiveness, making public information and services easier to find and easier to use," said Cathilea Robinett, the executive director of the Center for Digital Government. "The Center is pleased to recognize the sustained excellence of public portals in serving citizens in states and localities across the country."

The Alabama.gov portal is developed and managed at no cost to the state and is the result of a unique public-private partnership between the Alabama Department of Finance and Alabama Interactive, the state of Alabama’s partner for online government services.

About Alabama.gov
Alabama.gov is the state of Alabama’s official Web portal (www.alabama.gov) and a collaborative effort between the state of Alabama and Alabama Interactive. It was built and is marketed, operated, and maintained by Alabama Interactive, a Montgomery-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 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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