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Arkansas Unveils Redesigned State Web Site at www.Arkansas.gov

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Already ranked as the nation's top-ten best government Web sites in 2008 by the Center for Digital Government, www.Arkansas.gov recently introduced a newly-designed site with the Natural State logo branding and new features allowing citizens to search for information and services more easily, whether online or via mobile Smartphones or iPhones.

On the new search-centric state portal, citizens no longer need to know which government entity or specific agency provides a particular service. The new "Smart Search" allows users to search by keyword for services, agencies, people, or site content in one search interface. The search suggests matches and sends users to the service they need in one click. The Smart Search is also available in a mobile version and the State's newest iPhone application available at www.arkansas.gov/iphone.

Other features of the new portal include:

• An iPhone version allowing searches for services, people, agencies, or state offices "Near Me" using the GPS location mapping services. Users can now easily find Revenue Offices, Child Support, Workforce Centers, or Health Units in their community. The iPhone version can be downloaded at www.arkansas.gov/iphone.
• The Multimedia eNewsRoom aggregates more than 65 Arkansas State agency news feeds, audio feeds, YouTube video feeds, Flickr photo streams, and Facebook feeds into one Portal. Feeds are organized by category and searchable by keyword. The Arkansas.gov Facebook page; Flickr photo group; @arkansasgov Twitter feed, and YouTube feed allow Arkansas.gov to reach out to popular social networks with important information and services.
• A new Public Meetings Calendar, which under a new state law effective July 1, 2009, State Agencies are required to post public meetings three days in advance of the meeting.
• A Widget Portlet for state and private sector Job Postings, Recovery/Stimulus Funded Projects, News, and Public Meetings, which allow external embedding on blogs, wikis, or social network pages.

"We are always looking for new ways to better serve Arkansans," Governor Mike Beebe said. "We believe the enhancements to the state's Web site will help people and businesses to discover the wide range of government services available to them, so that they can more easily interact with the State."

Earlier this year, Arkansas released the nation's first mobile and iPhone versions to provide transparency for projects receiving funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Arkansans can track projects in their communities and see how funds are being spent. The www.Recovery.arkansas.gov site and Arkansas Recovery iPhone application (www.recovery.arkanas.gov/iphone) provide more effective, accessible, and transparent government.

About Arkansas.gov

Arkansas.gov is the State of Arkansas's official Web portal (http://www.Arkansas.gov). It has been ranked one of the top ten in the nation in the Center for Digital Government's Annual Best of the Web competition since 2003. It is managed and operated without tax funds through a public-private partnership between the State and the Arkansas Information Consortium, the Little Rock-based official eGovernment partner for the State of Arkansas. The AIC, LLC is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC. (NASDAQ: EGOV)

Arkansas.gov
Janet Grard, 501-324-8907
Network General Manager
janet@ark.org