NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
	Contact: Janet Grard Arkansas.gov (501) 324-8907 janet@ark.org

---

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – December 12, 2007 – Arkansas continues to have one of the most nationally recognized state government Web sites. The state’s official Web portal (http://www.Arkansas.gov) was honored for the third time in five years in the 2007 Best of the Web competition for government Web site achievement. The Arkansas Secretary of State’s office also earned a Digital Government Achievement Award in the same competition for its business franchise tax services suite. These awards come on the heels of the state’s sixth place showing in last fall’s Digital States Survey.

Now in its 11th year, Best of the Web evaluates government Web sites based on their innovation, Web-based delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality. Arkansas was chosen among the top 10 state portals. More than 200 public sector Web sites and services were evaluated in this year’s competition.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that Arkansas’s State government is open and accessible to its citizens,” said Governor Mike Beebe.  “We use information technology to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions to provide our citizens with as many avenues as possible for successful interaction with their government.  Being recognized by Best of the Web, the Digital Government Achievement Awards, and the Digital States Survey shows that we are doing the right things to better serve Arkansans on the Internet.”

Best of the Web, the Digital Government Achievement Awards, and the Digital States Survey are managed by the Center for Digital Government, an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government. Representatives from the Center for Digital Government and officials from the 2006 Best of the Web-winning state and local governments served as judges for the 2007 competition. The Secretary of State’s business franchise tax services suite won its 2007 Digital Government Achievement Award in the government-to-business category. It was recognized for ease of use and by allowing the agency to save money by processing tax filings more efficiently.

“The electronic franchise tax filing service is a winning proposition for all sides,” said Secretary of State Charlie Daniels. “The streamlined system delivers a fast, user-friendly service to Arkansas businesses and improves the efficiency of state government.”

“There was a clear distinction among Arkansas.gov and the other winners this year,” said Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. “Arkansas approaches eGovernment as a process, rather than an event, and continually works to improve their sites to serve their citizens better each year.”

Launched in July 1997, the Arkansas.gov portal supports 190 state agencies and processed more than 2.6 million online transactions last year. The state portal features more than 450 interactive, including property tax payments, business tax filings, and criminal background checks.

About Arkansas.gov
Arkansas.gov is the official Web site of the state of Arkansas (http://www.Arkansas.gov) and a service of the Information Network of Arkansas. The Information Network of Arkansas is a collaborative effort between the state of Arkansas and Arkansas Information Consortium that helps Arkansas government entities Web-enable their information services. The Arkansas Information Consortium is a Little Rock-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 2,600 state and local agencies that serve more than 69 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at www.nicusa.com.

-- 30 --