Virginia Information Providers Network Authority
Board of Directors

- 2002 Annual Report -

DRAFT - DRAFT - DRAFT

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Contents:

Executive Summary

Making a Difference

VIPNet Accomplishments

First In the Nation Services

Awards

VIPNet Guiding Priorities

Guiding Priority One – Assisting Government Entities in Need
Guiding Priority Two – Developing Interactive Web Services of Broad Public Use and Importance
Guiding Priority Three – Developing E-Commerce Applications that Will Sustain and Grow the Network

Transparent Government: Integration of Multi-Government Entity Online Services

VIPNet Financial Profile

Technology Platform

VIPNet Website Hits and Hosting Capacity

VIPNet Security and Privacy

VIPNet Authority Board

VIPNet Staffing

VIPNet Tomorrow

Contact VIPNet

Executive Summary

VIPNet continues to be instrumental in assisting the Commonwealth in meeting its needs to create a seamless, citizen-centric state portal that allows the citizens of Virginia to access and do business with state and local government at the convenience of the citizen. VIPNet provides a single point of access to all Virginia government-related information and services through the Commonwealth’s award winning official homepage at www.vipnet.org or www.myvirginia.org. The Virginia homepage receives over 32 million Web hits each month, and that number is growing.

VIPNet has assisted more than 100 state and local government entities in designing and hosting Web sites and in developing interactive, electronic government services. In partnership with those government entities, VIPNet has undertaken more than 300 Web-based projects.

During this past year, Virginia continued its unparalleled award-winning status. Virginia improved its ranking in the Digital State Survey by 22 places. In 2001 Virginia ranked 28 out of the 50 states. In 2002 Virginia's ranking is sixth, being the most improved state in the nation. In addition, the My Virginia portal was rated as the best state government Web site in the country in the Best of the Web competition. However, the most sustaining recognition is that Virginia is unmatched in providing its citizens with ten services that are of first in the nation status and have come at no cost to the Commonwealth. No other state offers as many groundbreaking services to its constituents.

In its role as the VIPNet Authority’s partner and network manager, Virginia Interactive, Inc., is committed to the successful implementation of the Authority’s guiding priorities. Virginia Interactive, Inc. is a subsidiary of NIC, of Overland Park, Kansas. The network manager shares the Authority’s focus on serving those government entities that lack the resources to Web-enable services and to provide applications via the Internet that serve an important public purpose. The network manager also recognizes that, in accordance with the Authority’s self-funded structure, VIPNet must continue to identify, pursue, and implement revenue-related interactive applications.

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Making a Difference

VIPNet’s greatest contributions come at little or no expense to the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or have significant impact on the way citizens interact with government while government entities realize efficiencies and cost savings.

My Virginia Homepage
VIPNet’s partnerships with the various Virginia state government entities have given the Commonwealth an excellent return on its investment. Other states have expended more than $10 million annually just to cover the costs of developing and maintaining the state homepage. The Virginia portal and its more than 100 interactive services are completely self-funded. In September of 2003 My Virginia was given the honor of winning first place in the Best of the Web competition conducted by the Center for Digital Government. This recognition of being named the nation’s best state government portal is unparalleled.

"The Virginia portal is one of the finest portals in all of government. The popular 'live help' feature and the new wireless portal launch make this site the most innovative in the country. It is a wonderful model for the 21st Century face of government," said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director for the Center for Digital Government, www.centerdigitalgov.com.

User feedback:

"Thanks for putting together a really useful Web site. I had a need to research the scope of the ROW fee for telecom providers. You had great info on the FAQ page, links to the PUC, links to the Virginia Code.... all this on one site is great. I have to research many other states and you are by far the most user friendly."

“This Web site has been terrific help in our search for colleges/universities for our son. It is extremely user friendly, and well organized. Kudos to the Web designers.” 

In 2002 VIPNet added a more proficient search engine to the portal. My Virginia now offers a Google search engine. Users now have the capability of searching 300,000 Web documents in a highly efficient manner. For the VIPNet staff, it has significantly reduced amount of work in maintaining that capability, allowing for the reallocation of internal resources.

State Board of Elections-Voter and Elections Services
At no cost to the Commonwealth, VIPNet has provided more that $1.2 million in design and programming services support for the State Board of Elections and the 134 voter registrar offices across Virginia. Users throughout Virginia and around the world access those services.

User feedback:

A sailor aboard the U.S.S. Monterey expressed his gratitude to a registrar in Hampton, Virginia. "Because of your determined efforts, I am able to exercise our great American right to vote, despite my deployed status," he writes in an e-mail message. 

The right to vote is a "concept so often undervalued at home, but so rarely even understood as a possibility in many places abroad," the sailor writes. He says he does not take this right for granted.

"Nor do I take for granted the can-do aggressiveness of those who make it possible for a sailor, deployed thousands of miles away, to still cast his vote in his own home town," he writes.

VIPNet-Live Help
At no cost to the Commonwealth, VIPNet is the first state to offer online, real-time customer service with Live Help. This service has received between a 95% and 98% customer service satisfaction rating through the user survey. Users appreciate receiving immediate, accurate assistance as stated by the positive feedback received in the survey.

User feedback:

"It was fantastic, quick, easy. Much better than trying to navigate through some "phone tree"..."
“Hi, I am just e-mailing you to let you know how extremely pleased I am with the live online help service provided on the Virginia Commonwealth Web site. In the past week, I personally, have used the service five times and received the information or link to the information I needed within one minute or less. In addition, I have referred a number of my clients to this service, and they have found it quite useful.

I would like to congratulate those who conceived the idea and supported its addition to the Commonwealth's Web site. I hope live online assistance continues to be available to Virginia residents through this venue.

Sincerely,

Jill A. Jacobs
President & CEO
Ability Unleashed, Inc.”

info: Please wait for a site operator to respond.
info: You are now chatting with 'Customer Service'
Customer Service: Welcome to the Commonwealth of Virginia Online Help. How may I assist you today?
Visitor: Good morning. I'm looking for a number for the Division of Vital Records. The number I have (804-225-5000) is no longer in service.
Customer Service: You should contact the office of Vital Records at:
Customer Service: www.vdh.state.va.us/vitalrec/F_08.htm
Customer Service: 804-662-6200
Visitor: Thank you. This live chat is a tremendous customer service tool. Have good day.
Customer Service: You are welcome. Thank you for visiting. Please contact us at anytime.
Visitor: Now I can only hope that Vital Records is as helpful. I wish they had chat.
Customer Service: That would help, I'm sure.
Visitor: Take care.
Customer Service: Good luck!
info: Chat session has been terminated by the site operator.

Aside from substantial customer satisfaction, the Live Help service has assisted VIPNet with its internal efficiencies, allowing for the reallocation of resources to providing additional services. VIPNet staff have gone from spending approximately 217 hours per month responding to user email and phone calls to only 90 hours a month, including the addition of Live Help. This is a reduction of nearly 60% in staff hours spent responding to customer inquiries.

Department of Health Professions-Online Public Information Database
VIPNet was asked by the Department of Health Professionals to Web-enable their database of licensed health care providers. By VIPNet taking over this process the Department of Health Professions saves more than $500,000 annually in staff and resources. The business fees from the data access have funded a free, citizen health professionals information search.

Virginia Employment Commission-Online Unemployment Claims Filing Service
The online unemployment claims filing service developed in partnership with the Virginia Employment Commission provides an annual time and travel savings for citizens of $2.1 million and more than $250,000 in the internal operations cost reduction for the VEC. This service has additional security by allowing for immediate verification with the Department of Motor Vehicles. After less than three months of availability of the new service, 10% of all unemployment claims are filed online. Of the users completing the online survey, 95% stated that the service was good or excellent with regard to the ease of use. Additionally, 97% stated that it was good or excellent with regard to convenience. Of these users, 75% were filing from the convenience of their home. Six percent of the users completing the survey stated they would not have gone into a VEC office to file for unemployment benefits.

User feedback:

User comments to the customer satisfaction survey question, “Do you have any additional comments about the online Claim for Benefits?” include: 
“It's a nice way to maintain one’s dignity during a very stressful time and I appreciate it as I'm very actively seeking another executive position. Thanks!!!” 

“I was not aware of your online unemployment capabilities and being a single mom was trying to figure out how I could make it in the office (3 hours) to file a claim. Being online took less then 10 minutes and saved me the hassle of wasting time. I hope that this effort continues and VEC progresses into the 21st century with a fully automated system.”

“I waited in the Fishersville office for two hours today waiting to file. I finally walked out. I was planning to go in the morning and try again, but used the info I picked up there to check out your Web sites and found this, boy what a time saver! I have been putting in applications everywhere trying to find a job, I really hated that I wasted two hours of time I could have spent finding a job. “

”Filing a Claim for Benefits is so much more conveniently done online. This approach turned a half day event (filing in VEC Office) into one easy step in the privacy of my home, and I am satisfied knowing that my situation did not add more work on the pleasant, hard workers at the Newport News VEC location. I am extremely pleased!” 

Virginia’s Information Security Awareness Training
In 2001, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Technology Planning, DTP, enacted a comprehensive requirement that all state agencies must establish information security awareness programs for their employees so that they are aware of their information security responsibilities and how to fulfill them. In response to that requirement, agencies initially pursued traditional education and training solutions, including the development of information security seminar presentations and printed materials. However, the agencies quickly found that those solutions were too expensive and impractical to reach an affected workforce of more than 100,000 employees spread hundreds of miles across the state. 

Conservatively, agencies were projecting that they would need to spend $45 to $50 per user in developing the necessary training materials and presentations. That per user expense did not include any allowance for travel time and lost work hours if employees were away from their offices for the security training. For a single agency that needs to provide training to 1,000 employees, the traditional solutions would cost a minimum of between $45,000 and $50,000. And those agencies must provide the training annually. 

As an alternative to those traditional training approaches, a group of state agencies including DTP, private companies, and the Virginia Information Providers Network, VIPNet, partnered to create an electronic, Web-based training and assessment solution that would be accessible via the convenience of the employees’ desktop computers and the Internet. That solution, the Virginia Security Awareness Training (VASAT) enterprise service, incorporates the general information security training guidelines and requirements of DTP, as well as the specific policies of each participating agency. Employees review the policies via secure access to VASAT and then complete an online test and certification process. All employees who use information technology resources must obtain such certification at least annually.

The enterprise nature of the Web-based VASAT service now means that agencies may provide the required information security awareness training in a timely and affordable manner. State employees enjoy the convenience of being able to access VASAT via their Internet browsers. Further, the entire state and its citizens are benefiting from the improved information and data security that the security awareness requirement and online training service are providing.

Agencies participating in the VASAT enterprise service pay a per user fee of $2.50 annually. That fee covers all software licensing, hosting, and administration fees for the service. Agencies may incur additional expenses if they require development and customization of the online versions of their information security policies. At any rate, this is a significant cost savings to the Commonwealth of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

VIPNet Services
VIPNet staff provides more than $875,000 annually in free Web design, development, consulting, and hosting services for agencies that lack staffing and resources for such projects. This type of partnership is unrivaled in the Commonwealth.

VIPNet-My Mobile Virginia
In July of 2002 VIPNet gave Virginia its tenth first in the nation service status with the deployment of the My Mobile Virginia, the Commonwealth’s wireless portal. With the addition of this service Virginia government was catapulted beyond the common accessibility of anytime, 24 X 7, but now is accessible anywhere with the use of a mobile electronic device.

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VIPNet Accomplishments

First in the Nation Services
VIPNet’s e-government accomplishments are extensive and continue to grow each year. Those accomplishments include many national firsts:

Wireless State Portal
My Mobile Virginia is the nation’s first wireless portal. Through My Mobile Virginia citizens will find main contact information for the Executive Branch Secretariats, the Governor, the Judicial Branch, the Legislative Branch and the General Assembly. Emergency information provides contact information for the Virginia State Police, the Department of Emergency Management, the Red Cross, and Blood Services of Virginia.

My Mobile Virginia now offers an unprecedented array of interactive services for mobile users, including:

• Virginia Legislative Branch information, which also includes General Assembly meeting information (date, time and location for meetings) as well as House of Delegates and Senate member listings with contact information.
  

• The Commonwealth Calendar offers the opportunity to search for official meetings and events posted online by Virginia government entities.
  

• The complaint selector from the Consumer Assistance Portal that allows consumers to search for the appropriate federal, state, or local government entity with which to file a consumer complaint.
  

• Tourism information that helps users search for information on lodging, dining, golf, and entertainment options in Virginia.
  

• The Department of Health Professions' Licensee Lookup system lets citizens verify that the health care provider is in good standing with the appropriate state licensing board.
  

• Voting and Election services that include:

• Real-time election reporting in which users are able to select a desired election race and receive real-time result summaries via the 
  Palm-based display.
  

• An election polling place lookup system allows users to enter their residential address and within seconds their polling place name, 
  location, and voting district information is returned.

• Absentee Ballot Tracking Service
  In cooperation with State Board of Elections, SBE, VIPNet offers voters who choose to vote absentee the opportunity to track their ballot online. Voters merely enter their name, select their locality, and enter part of their registration number, birth date, and election. The request will return the status of the ballot from the time it was sent to the time it was received by their registrar.
  
  

• Personalization for State Portal
  My Virginia Homepage is VIPNet’s customizable Virginia homepage through which users may specify the content that they want displayed on their "My Virginia" page, similar to the "My Yahoo" concept. Users are able to select links to the state, local, and educational entities of preference, request certain local traffic reports and news media links, specify public meeting announcement and press releases to receive, request to receive an e-mail notification of updates and enhancements, and track up to 20 General Assembly bills. At a further level of enhancement, the "My Virginia" service will incorporate additional "push" technology so that users receive automatic recognition and/or notification of government-related tasks "Welcome Ms. Smith. Don’t forget to renew your vehicle registration for your Ford…"
  
  

• Live Chat
  VIPNet offers online real-time customer service assistance to visitors via Live Chat. This service allows a visitor to submit questions to VIPNet staff members via a dialog box accessible from the state homepage. Staff members may respond to queries via the dialog box or they can “send” the visitor to a relevant Web page by using push technology. VIPNet has received between a 95% and 98% customer satisfaction rating with this service. The number of chats per month has been as high as 694 chats and as low as 245 chats. The average wait time for a chat has ranged from 6 seconds to 11 seconds, with the average length of a chat session lasting 6 minutes. 
  
  

• Voter Registration Verification
  In cooperation with the Department of Motor Vehicles, State Board of Elections and the Department of Information Technology, VIPNet has created the Online Voter Registration Verification System. This feature allows Virginians with DMV issued PIN and Customer Numbers to enter that information, along with date of birth and Social Security Number, on a secured server to retrieve their voter registration status. The service also provides the voter’s polling place location and a listing of elected officials.
  
  

• Real-time, Statewide Election Results
  VIPNet continues to partner with the SBE to provide online, real-time election results for all major elections in Virginia, including certain local elections and primaries. Media representatives have praised the Virginia system as the most comprehensive and functional of any state system in the country. In 1999, the first year the service was available, there were 137,811 hits with an average user session of 11 minutes on Election Day and the day following. In 2002, the site’s utilization has increased to 908,049 hits with an average user session lasting 29 minutes during the same two days.
  
  

• Real-time, Statewide Election Results via Handheld Device
  Beginning with the November 2000 election, VIPNet also has made election results available via handheld devices. This was the first palm-enabled state elections results site in the country (see Government Technology Magazine, January 2001). Users are able to select a desired election race and receive real-time result summaries. Members of the press stated that the service allowed them to report election results from the steps of the Virginia Capitol as precincts reported to the State Board of Elections, not tying them to a desktop PC. VIPNet also has led the nation in developing additional government services for handheld devices (see below).
  
  

• Consumer Assistance Portal
  Executive Order 51 (99) directed VIPNet and VDACS to develop a Web site that provides consumers information regarding privacy and security standards and protections for using the Internet for purchases of goods and services. The efforts in developing that site have led to the complementary project of creating an interactive application that permits consumers to determine which state or local entity to contact with a specific consumer complaint. Through the consumer assistance portal, citizens may search for the correct entity to contact through a variety of means, including key words and goods and services categories.
  
  

• Commonwealth Calendar-Public Meetings Announcements 
  In partnership with the Virginia Registrar of Regulations, VIPNet developed the Commonwealth Calendar as a Web-based service that provides convenient, instantaneous access to official public meetings announcements. Authorized government entity staff members post official meeting announcements on the Calendar in real-time, meaning that they may announce changes in meeting locations or times when necessary. The electronic meeting announcements are automatically forwarded to the Virginia Registrar of Regulations, thus avoiding double data entry of the meeting information by the staff responsible for manually publishing meeting notices. 
  
  

• Motor Vehicle Dealer Board Online Licensing and E-Commerce Transaction System
  In partnership with the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board, VIPNet developed a “one stop shop” suite of online services for Virginia automobile dealers. This service allows motor vehicle dealers to perform all activities related to dealer and salesperson license renewals, ordering of additional plates, tags, decals, and forms, as well as to pay all fees online.  

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Awards

Virginia continues to receive national recognition for its electronic government initiatives that are bringing information services to citizens and businesses via the Internet. Those awards include:

• Best of the Web
  The Commonwealth’s state portal was recognized as the best state portal in the nation. My Virginia placed first out of nearly 400 applications in the Best of the Web competition. This is the third consecutive year that Virginia was recognized in the Best of the Web competition; in 2001, My Virginia placed fourth in the competition being recognized for the portal; in 2000, Virginia was a finalist and received honorable mention for the My Virginia Personalized Homepage.

The 2002 Best of the Web contest was conducted by the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute, and Government Technology magazine, a leading digital government publication. Now in its eighth year, Best of the Web evaluates government Web sites based on their innovation and use of Web-based online technology to deliver government services, efficiency and time saved, economy and money saved, and overall functionality for improved citizen access.

• E-Gov 2002 Pioneer Award 
  The E-Gov 2002 Conference selected VIPNet's Live Help, online customer service feature, as an E-Gov 2002 Pioneer Award Winner. Live Help was one of 20 Pioneer Award winners selected from 234 nominations from state, local, federal, and international government entities.
  
  

• CSG Innovations Award
  VIPNet had three of the ten services selected as semi-finalists in the Southeastern Region of the Council of State Governments: 

• Live Help 
  My Virginia’s online, real-time customer assistance allows citizens to communicate directly with a VIPNet customer service representative. Customer service representatives are able to use ‘push’ technology to open a new browser window for the users giving them direct access to the exact information they may be seeking.
  
  

• Virginia Election and Voter Services
  In partnership with the State Board of Elections, VIPNet offers a variety of voter services that include:

• Voter Registration Verification

• Polling Place Lookup

• Real-Time Election Results

• Absentee Ballot Tracking

• Wireless Real-Time Election Results

• Wireless Polling Place Lookup

• Lobbyist-in-a-Box 
  Lobbyist-in-a-Box allows users to track legislation, receiving email notifications as changes occur. This service is available for both the PC user, as well as the wireless user.

• Best of Breed
  The Center for Digital Government recognizes the Best of Breed, a few select services from the Best of Web Award and the Digital State Survey that are considered outstanding in their field due to the facts that no one else is providing the service and the service can be easily replicated in other states. This past year two services were selected for this special recognition:

• Absentee Ballot Tracking 
  In cooperation with State Board of Elections, VIPNet offers voters who choose to vote absentee the opportunity to track their ballot online. Voters merely enter their name, select their locality, and enter part of their registration number, birth date, and election. The request will return the status of the ballot from the time it was sent to the time it was received by their registrar.
  
  

• My Virginia Portal
  The Official Web site of the Commonwealth of Virginia was recognized for its outstanding organization, navigation, compliance and unique services offered, especially the nation’s first wireless portal, My Mobile Virginia, and the nation’s first online, real-time customer service assistance, Live Help.

• Governor’s 2001 Technology Awards 
  In conjunction with the annual Commonwealth of Virginia Information Technology Symposium (COVITS), the Secretary of Technology awarded the 2002 Governor’s Technology Awards. VIPNet partnered with two of the award winners in providing e-government services:

• Library of Virginia: Find It VA
  VIPNet partnered with the Library of Virginia to offer online access to an online publications database. Citizens merely need to have a public library card to access the database. This service gives citizens from across the state access to information their public library may not otherwise be able to afford to offer.
  
  

• Virginia Employment Commission: Online Unemployment Claims Filing
  VIPNet has partnered with the Virginia Employment Commission to offer citizens who have become unemployed the option to file for unemployment online.

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VIPNet Guiding Priorities

The VIPNet Authority has established three guiding priorities by which projects are undertaken by the network. These priorities were established to assist the Authority and VIPNet in making decisions, establishing priorities, and confirming the vision set for electronic government for the Commonwealth of Virginia:

• Assisting government entities in need 
• Developing interactive Web services of broad public use and importance 
• Developing e-commerce applications that will sustain and grow the network 

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Guiding Priority One – Assisting Government Entities in Need

VIPNet continues to provide significant Web hosting, design, and interactive application development services for those government entities that cannot otherwise provide those services. VIPNet hosts the Web sites of more than 100 government entities. Since the network’s launch in March of 1998, VIPNet has completed or undertaken nearly 300 Web projects without remuneration. Many of those projects involved the creation of Web sites for state entities that had no Web presence, including the agency departments, councils, boards, the Governor, and several secretaries from the Governor’s cabinet at no cost to these government entities. 

In addition to focusing on state entities that need this assistance, the Network is continuing to work with local governments that lack a Web presence or need to develop interactive services. Where the opportunity exists, VIPNet also is pursuing the development of e-commerce projects with local governments and regional entities (see Priority Three below).

Although VIPNet provides the services described above at no-charge, the VIPNet Authority has approved a structure of fees for the network to charge government entities for services that are beyond the scope of those free services. For example, certain government entities do not have the staffing resources necessary to develop an online service for citizens. Those entities now may seek assistance, without the necessity of a separate procurement process, through VIPNet, as well as the Department of Information Technology’s new "body shop" contracts with Web design vendors.

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Guiding Priority Two – Developing Interactive Web Services of Broad Public Use and Importance

Unquestionably, VIPNet’s greatest impact as a network has come through its development of Web-based services that the general public or a significant segment of the population have utilized free of charge in order to interact with government. The first of those citizen services was the Commonwealth Calendar, the online public meetings calendar that VIPNet developed in partnership with the Office of the Virginia Registrar beginning in 1998. More than 275 government users now post meetings to the Calendar. Based on the success of the Calendar, the Virginia Registrar has integrated its production of the printed meeting notices in the Virginia Register so that all meetings are first posted to the online Calendar and the electronic version then generates the printed announcements.

Subsequently, VIPNet has partnered with Virginia government entities to develop dozens of other interactive applications that serve a significant public interest: from the Commonwealth of Knowledge – Standards of Learning site to the State Board of Elections online, real-time elections results system. Those and similar efforts represent VIPNet’s most significant application development efforts and a network programming time equivalent investment of more than $2.2 million in 2002. 

The following projects are among the most significant initiatives that VIPNet has pursued during 2002:

My Virginia Portal
As required by the network’s enabling legislation, VIPNet provides the official homepage or portal for the Commonwealth, which is now known as My Virginia (see www.myvirginia.org, www.vipnet.org, or www.state.va.us). The homepage provides citizens and businesses a single, electronic gateway to all government-related information, including the Web sites of all:

• State agencies 
• Local governments
• Colleges & Universities 
• K-12 schools
• Libraries and Museums

My Virginia is a “next generation” Web portal that features a citizen-centric navigational approach. Information and services are categorized under the following headings:

• Find My Community
• Family & Education
• Business & Employment
• Online Services
• Government
• About Virginia
• Personalized Page
• Featured Sites
• About VIPNet

My Virginia receives more than 32 million hits per month from users all over the world. Homepage users may access the more than 100 interactive services available from Virginia government entities via the “Online Services” list. Those services include:

• Driver license and vehicle registration renewal 
• Voter registration status check and polling place look-up 
• Legislative and regulatory tracking 
• Professional license renewal 
• State tax filings 
• Consumer complaint assistance 
• Virginia travel planning 
• And many more

My Virginia also is optimized to permit users with older versions of browsers and slower Internet connections to access the homepage and its related services. The portal also exceeds all recommendations and guidelines for accessibility. In 2002 VIPNet added a more efficient search engine to the portal. My Virginia now offers a Google search engine. Users have the capability of searching 300,000 Web documents. For the VIPNet staff, it has significantly reduced amount of work in maintaining that capability, allowing for the reallocation of internal resources.

My Mobile Virginia
The Virginia Information Providers Network, VIPNet, is the nation’s first state portal to offer a wireless state government portal. With the growing popularity of personal digital assistants, PDAs, and wireless Internet connectivity, a need to access state government information via those devices has emerged. PDA’s, smart phones, and various WAP-enabled devices currently have presentation restrictions that make it difficult to navigate most Web sites. By reviewing existing applications, studying the state portal’s Web metrics, and interviewing state agency IT departments and citizens, a subset of applications and content were defined for display on a wireless portal. Current Web-based applications that access government information and services were the first targets for transport to wireless devices. Using existing technologies such as XML, WML, and Web clippings, new interfaces were developed to access the same information presented on an agency’s Web site. 

By providing citizens with the wireless alternative, they may now not only access government information at any time, but also from anywhere. No longer must citizens be tied to a desktop PC in order to be able to conveniently interact with government.

VIPNet and the Virginia State Board of Elections premiered palm-enabled access to state election results in November of 2000, making Virginia the first government entity in the nation to offer election results in that format. Shortly thereafter, the network partnered with Virginia’s Division of Legislative Automated Systems to offer palm-enabled access to the “Lobbyist-in-a-Box” legislative tracking service. Subsequently, the network has developed more than a half dozen other services for palm-enabled delivery, via wireless PDA access.

VIPNet is working to expand the range of service offerings via the palm-based devices as the network and its agency partners make government more accessible via electronic means. VIPNet also is developing access to those services through other PDA’s and wireless communications devices. 

Ultimately, Virginia’s goal is to make all government information services available simultaneously via the user’s preferred communications mechanism, whether that is a desktop personal computer or a wireless phone. From a development perspective, new technologies including XML will permit VIPNet and government entities to concurrently create electronic information services that are accessible via PC’s, palm devices, wireless telephones, or whatever communications device is available.

My Mobile Virginia now offers an unprecedented array of interactive services for mobile users, including:

• Virginia Legislative Branch information, which also includes General Assembly meeting information (date, time and location for meetings) as well as House of Delegates and Senate member listings with contact information.
  

• The Commonwealth Calendar offers the opportunity to search for official meetings and events posted online by Virginia government entities.
  

• The complaint selector from the Consumer Assistance Portal that allows consumers to search for the appropriate federal, state, or local government entity with which to file a consumer complaint.
  

• Tourism information that helps users search for information on lodging, dining, golf, and entertainment options in Virginia.
  

• The Department of Health Professions' Licensee Lookup system lets citizens verify that the health care provider is in good standing with the appropriate state licensing board.
  

• Voting and Election services that include:

• Real-time election reporting in which users are able to select a desired election race and receive real-time result summaries via the 
  Palm-based display.
  

• An election polling place lookup system allows users to enter their residential address and within seconds their polling place name, 
  location, and voting district information is returned.

Virginia Employment Commission-Online Unemployment Claims Filing Service
The online unemployment claims filing service developed in partnership with the Virginia Employment Commission provides an annual time and travel savings for citizens of $2.1 million and more than $250,000 in the internal operations cost reduction for the VEC. After less than three months of availability of the new service, 10% of all unemployment claims are filed online. Of the users completing the online survey, 95% stated that the service was good or excellent with regard to the ease of use. Additionally, 97% stated that it was good or excellent with regard to convenience. Of these users, 75% were filing from the convenience of their home. Six percent of the users completing the survey stated they would not have gone into a VEC office to file for unemployment benefits.

Voter and Election Services
VIPNet has created a one-stop shop for voter and election services. In cooperation with the Virginia State Board of Elections, VIPNet offers a vast array of award-winning services of which citizens can take advantage.

Absentee Ballot Status Check
Through the collaborative efforts of the State Board of Elections, the Department of Information Technology and VIPNet, the State Board of Elections’ Web site now offers the Absentee Ballot Status Lookup service. This service provides absentee voters the ability to track their ballot from its initial request to the receipt of the ballot by the local elections office. Via secured server, the application seamlessly exchanges information with the Virginia Voter Registration Service. In addition, the Absentee Ballot Status Lookup system provides links to citizens’ local registrars, as well as information about their locally elected officials and representatives.

Online Elections Results
VIPNet continues to partner with the State Board of Elections (SBE) to provide online, real-time election results for all major elections in Virginia, including certain local elections and primaries. Media representatives have praised the Virginia system as the most comprehensive and functional of any state system in the country. VIPNet and the SBE are discussing enhancements to the reporting system that will further automate the creation of the reporting system and aid local registrars. In November 2000 election results were made available to users of palm devices.

Online Voter Registration Verification
In cooperation with DMV, SBE and DIT, VIPNet has created the Online Voter Registration Verification System. This feature allows Virginians with DMV issued PIN and Customer Numbers to enter that information, along with date of birth and Social Security Number on a secured server to retrieve their voter registration status. Other state entities are interested in utilizing the shared PIN code system as DMV resources permit.

Online Legislative Tracking Service
Modeled after the award winning Lobbyist-in-a-Box, which was developed in partnership with the Division of Legislative Automated Systems, this Internet-based legislative tracking system allows users to monitor up to five bills of Virginia legislation of which they have interest through the convenience of the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free of charge. In November 2000 this tracking service was made available to users of handheld devices, adding additional flexibility to this significant service. 

Local Government Suite of Applications
In an effort to assist local governments in creating a robust e-government presence, VIPNet has created a suite of interactive services that local governments may offer their constituents. The suite of services includes:

• Calendar of Public Events and Official Meetings 
• Constituency Notification 
• Online Payments 
• Online Store 
• Parks and Recreation Reservation Service 
• Real Property Tax Assessment Search 
• Real Property Tax Payments 

Please refer to Guiding Priority Three below for more information.

My Virginia PIN 
Virginians will use a single, secure key to safely conduct a variety of government transactions on the Internet. File tax returns, renew driver's licenses, view and order college transcripts and review unemployment or government assistance benefits--these services will be a few keystrokes away. And, citizens will have a single, secure number with which they can access Web-based services offered by state agencies, local governments, and educational institutions.

To facilitate secure e-government transactions, state government is developing the Commonwealth of Virginia Personal Identification Number (My Virginia PIN). Combined with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, My Virginia PIN will protect citizens' privacy and ensure the utmost security when conducting Internet transactions.

By building on an existing framework, the Commonwealth will be able to bring additional organizations and their services into the program in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost to construct and administer. As more services become available, citizens will benefit from the convenience of a single PIN providing access to a wide variety of services across the face of government.

Below is a listing of VIPNet interactive services that are of broad public use and importance:

• My Mobile Virginia Wireless Portal
• My Virginia Personalized Home Page 
• Live Help
• Legislative Tracking
• Online Unemployment Claims Filing
• Find My Community
• Voter Registration Verification 
• Polling Place Look Up 
• Election Results 
• Absentee Ballot Tracking
• Campaign Expenditures Search 
• Commonwealth of Knowledge 
• Commonwealth Calendar 
• Consumer Assistance Portal 
• 4SAFEVA 
• How do I… 
• Virtual Opportunities Center
• Heath Professions Licensee Lookup
• Tourism 
• Searchable Best Practices Database 
• State Bar – CLE Look Up 
• Virginia Naturally
• State Sex Offender Registry
• Workers’ Compensation Commission Online Opinions Database
• State Song Competition

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Guiding Priority Three – Developing E-Commerce Applications that Will Sustain and Grow the Network

In order to fund its current services and the new initiatives described above, VIPNet must continue to develop fee generating, interactive applications. To date, the network has begun supplementing the significant revenues of Department of Motor Vehicles records sales by developing enhanced data access and filing services for businesses for which the network receives a nominal fee to offset its application development, hosting, maintenance, and enhancement costs.

The fee-related services created currently include:

Health Professions Online Public Information Database developed in partnership with the Department of Health Professions. This service offers access to the public information database of Virginia health professionals. Users may search by board, occupation, and zip code area. Information can be easily downloaded into an office database and then manipulated for multiple purposes.

Service of Process (SOP) was developed in partnership with the Secretary of the Commonwealth as an electronic filing system delivered via the Internet. Filers enter data in a short series of screens that captures important information about the case and the parties. After all data is entered, the online filing system generates the affidavit for service of process. SOP filers are prompted to print the affidavit, affix necessary "wet" signatures, and deliver the original affidavit and one copy, along with one copy of the notice or process papers, to the SOC. 

Professional Employers Organization (PEO) electronic registration and reporting system was developed in partnership with the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission. This Internet service complies with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements and was designed with input from the PEO industry. VIPNet is serving as the Commission’s agent for purposes of online PEO registration and reporting. 

Motor Vehicle Dealer Board’s Online Licensing and E-Commerce Transaction System was developed in partnership with VIPNet as a one stop shop for Virginia automobile dealers. This service allows motor vehicle dealers to perform all activities related to dealer and salesperson license renewals, ordering of additional plates, tags, decals, and forms, as well as to pay all fees online. 

Lobbyist-in-a-Box was developed in partnership with the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. This Internet-based legislative tracking system allows users to monitor Virginia legislation of which they have interest through the convenience of the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In November 2000 this tracking service was made available to users of handheld devices, adding additional flexibility to this significant service.

Boat Registration Database Search was developed in partnership with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This application allows Commissioners of Revenue and private sector businesses to obtain boat ownership information via the Internet. Users are able to obtain information by searching boat owner, boat number, or docking location.

Online Lobbyist Registration was developed in partnership with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. This interactive application allows lobbyists to register with the Secretary by completing and submitting an online registration form, in addition to paying the fees through a secure online credit card transaction.

Employment and Salary Information Verification was developed in partnership with the Department of Human Resource Management. Lending institutions with the loan applicant’s approval may verify employment status and salary history online through a secure Web site.

Online Shopping Cart was developed by VIPNet to enable multiple agencies to sell goods to citizens and/or other agencies on their Web site through a secure online credit card transaction. Online shopping services include the sale of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s “Blue Book,” the Library of Virginia Foundation's Gift Shop, and the Department of Forestry's Seedling Sales Catalog.

Local Government Suite of Applications was developed by VIPNet as part of the state’s “E-Communities” initiative in order to assist local governments in creating a robust e-government presence. VIPNet now provides a suite of interactive services that local governments may offer their constituents. The suite of services includes:

Calendar of Public Events and Official Meetings
Localities may provide their citizens with a searchable, online calendar of activities and meetings. Links provided on the calendar allow citizens to view activity details, including the location, services for the disabled and contact information.

Constituent Notification
Citizens and businesses deserve and require the opportunity to be updated regarding news and decisions made in their locality. Elected officials or constitutional officers may provide citizens with an opportunity to receive e-mail notification, with citizens specifying the issues about which they would like to be notified.

Online Payments, including Parking Ticket Payments
Localities may provide the opportunity for citizens to make online payments, including payments for parking ticket citation fees. Citizens enter billing and credit card information on a secure site and receive a printable receipt.

Parks and Recreation Service
Localities may offer citizens the opportunity to reserve a recreational area and facility. Once citizens have selected the desired park and/or facility, they are required to enter reservation and personal information. Citizens are encouraged to print this receipt as a confirmation of their reservation.

Online Store
Localities with goods and publications to sell may now sell these items online. The VIPNet online store allows governments to quickly and easily provide a secure, online interface through which citizens and business can purchase goods.

Real Property Assessment Search
Localities may provide online real property assessment information allowing citizens to make an informed decision before selecting a home or locality. After entering search criteria, high-level property information is presented with the opportunity to view further details, including assessment and sale information.

Real Property Tax Payments
Localities may offer citizens the opportunity to pay real property taxes online with a credit card or an electronic check. Citizens enter credit card or check information on a secure site and receive a printable receipt.

Each of these applications provides convenient, valuable information services to their users. The applications also have saved the partner agencies significant staff time and other resources as their user-constituents may now obtain the agencies’ services electronically, relieving some of the agencies’ burden of providing telephone, mail, and counter-based customer service. VIPNet will continue to pursue the development of other revenue generating applications that can sustain and grow the network.

Additionally, the network has taken on many significant projects that do not afford the opportunity for a transaction-based funding model. These projects have been developed on a time and materials basis. Such projects include:

• Virginia Employment Commission-Online Unemployment Claims Filing
• Library of Virginia-Site Redesign Consultation
• Library of Virginia-Online Research Requests and Payment Service
• Tourism-Site Enhancements
• Tourism-Wireless Portal
• Visit Hampton Roads
• E-911-Interactive Services
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts-Media Village
• Virginia Correctional Enterprises-Online Catalog
• Virginia Correctional Enterprises-Xerox Project

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Transparent Government: Integration of Multi-Government Entity Online Services

VIPNet’s parallel goal in developing interactive services for different state and local entities is to begin seamlessly integrating those applications so that users may accomplish multiple, related tasks provided by several unrelated entities through a single Web site. Under this concept, the functions of multiple government entities, including those at different levels of government, are integrated transparently to the user who is trying to complete what he/she perceives as a single government function.

One example of this integration could involve boat ownership registration functions. Currently a boat owner must register his/her boat with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries but his/her boat trailer must be registered with DMV. Through application integration by VIPNet and the agencies, the boat owner would be able to accomplish both renewal functions through one application at one Web site.

VIPNet and its government partners have begun creating integrated services including:

Web Services Initiative-VIPNet participated in a proof of concept for Web services. Web services are applications written by agencies to share data with other agencies. For example, Web services would allow a citizen to change his/her address with one particular government entity one time, and have that information populate other appropriate government entities’ databases.

My Virginia PIN –Virginians will use a single, secure key to safely conduct a variety of government transactions on the Internet. File tax returns, renew driver's licenses, view and order college transcripts and review unemployment or government assistance benefits… these services will be a few keystrokes away. And, citizens will have a single, secure number with which they can access Web-based services offered by state agencies, local governments and educational institutions.

In addition to providing technical and administrative assistance in developing the My Virginia PIN service, VIPNet also is working with government entities to develop online services that will utilize the shared PIN.

Consumer Assistance Portal – Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) – This interactive application permits consumers to determine which state, local, or federal entity to contact with a specific consumer complaint and provides specific contact information and direct links to that entity’s homepage, consumer information, and/or complaint form where applicable. Thus, a citizen no longer needs to make the threshold determination of whether they must contact a state or local government entity.

Online Voter Registration Verification – In cooperation with State Board of Elections (SBE), Department of Information Technology (DIT), and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), VIPNet has created the Online Voter Registration Verification System. This feature allows Virginians with DMV issued PIN and Customer Numbers to enter that information, along with date of birth and Social Security Number on a secured server to retrieve their voter registration status. Seamless government is realized through the use of one PIN to access multiple online government services. The success of this service’s shared use of the DMV PIN code is supporting the My Virginia PIN service initiative.

Another example of service integration is enabling businesses to accomplish multiple government permitting, licensing, or information requests through a single Web application. A business needing to obtain both state and local permits for its operations should be able to submit such requests through one interactive process, as opposed to two or more separate functions hosted by several different government entities.

As described in the guiding priorities sections above, VIPNet has served as a government service integrator already by enabling businesses and citizens to access related services through a single Web site. The network will continue to champion additional, higher level integration efforts where feasible.

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The General Assembly designed VIPNet to be funded through user fees for enhanced access by the business community to commercially viable information services. No tax dollars or other government subsidies are used to fund VIPNet. The Network’s revenue producing applications, in addition to covering the costs of the Network’s operations, fund the interactive development, design, and hosting services that are provided at no expense to government entities.

VIPNet’s primary funding mechanism is through batch, and interactive sales of Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) driver and vehicle records to authorized entities. Additionally, VIPNet has created other interactive, fee-based services that provide Network revenues. Those additional revenue producing services include the Department of Health Professions database access, Lobbyist-in-a-Box legislative tracking service, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries boat registration database search, Service of Process (SOP) electronic filing system, Employment and Salary Information Verification, Online Store, and PEO and lobbyist registration services. The Authority’s Guiding Principle Three, noted above, described VIPNet’s revenue generating services in more detail.

VIPNet is continuing to develop new revenue generating applications, as well as promoting wider adoption and usage of its existing revenue services. Additionally, the VIPNet Authority Board has authorized the Network to pursue other revenue generating projects, where, for example, government entities compensate the Network for its development services on a time and materials or set monthly fee basis. 

The following table recaps the Network's financial operations for 2002 to date.

2002 Financial Chart