The Advent of e-Government

With the advent of the Internet, state and local governments were able to take advantage of new-born technologies and trends to create new channels of communication and new methods of participation via electronic government. The demands of citizens and businesses in a changing landscape also incited governments to get involved in e-government initiatives and related uses of information technology. There has been undeniable progress in the way the public sector uses information technology in the past two decades. Some of the poorer cities and counties that couldn't justify investing in computer systems in the past can't afford to do so now.

Spending on IT has increased considerably in all categories including infrastructure, hardware and applications. Some Governments have installed fiber networks to connect Local government facilities while others have opted for the use of wireless technologies. As services become independent of location, the importance of high-quality secure access to databases and records becomes more apparent.

Use of e-mail as a communication and collaboration tool has also proved beneficial in generating greater work output at a lower cost. Local government installation of dedicated e-mail servers enables instantaneous communication between departments and agencies allowing for faster problem resolution. On the other hand, e-mail also opened another channel of communication with citizens, greatly improving their relationships with the government.

An e-government would not be electronic without web presence. Having and maintaining informative and functional websites allowed governments to Interact with citizens, businesses, and visitors. Many experts see high-quality web presence as an essential tool in economic development.