News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 30, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kathleen White, Department of Information Services, 360-902-3520

Washington receives three top national awards for digital government

SEATTLE — Gov. Gary Locke announced today that Washington was the only state in the country to receive three top awards for outstanding technology innovations that improve government services. The awards are sponsored by the National Association of State Information Resource Executives (NASIRE) and were announced July 22. The same day, a national study named Washington the best state for using Internet technologies.

"The potential of digital government to deliver faster, better service at less cost is exciting. We are pleased that our progress is being recognized," said Locke.

Access Washington, the state's new web portal that gives citizens and businesses easy online access to government information and services around the clock, took the top NASIRE award for service applications. Access Washington is designed and operated by the state Department of Information Services. The K-20 Network Educational Telecommunications Network, also managed by the Department of Information Services, supplies nearly every school district, college and university in the state with access to the Internet and other digital learning tools; it topped the networking category.

The Department of Personnel's Data Warehouse, offering state clients easy online access to human resource data, took first for administrative applications. NASIRE president Mike Benzen, Missouri's chief information officer, said the awards represent the premier event for recognizing technology innovations by states and their private sector partners.

"The common thread among these initiatives is their focus on supplying customers with convenient, online access to government information and services," said Clare Donahue, acting director of the Department of Information Services. "Each represents an important step in Washington's drive toward digital government."

Washington's Information Network for Public Health Officials, which digitally connects state and local health officials, won NASIRE's 1998 recognition award for networking.

The State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States, released July 22 by the Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C., assessed each of the 50 state economies using 17 indicators weighted by importance. Washington was ranked number one for its use of digital technologies and number four overall for its performance in the new economy.

According to the report, state governments that fully embrace the potential of networked information technologies will not only increase the quality and cut the costs of government services, but also help to foster broader use of information technologies among residents and businesses, leading to faster economic growth.

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