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Government Websites in 5 Cities and Counties Win Vision Internet Whats Next Awards for Online Innovation(eTeligis.com Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) SANTA MONICA, CA, United States, via eTeligis Inc., 07/29/2014 - - Vision Internet, innovators in online government, today announced the winners of its inaugural Whats Next Awards competition, which recognizes local government websites for excellence in five categories: transparency, citizen engagement, online innovation, green gov and visual impact. The 2014 winners of Vision Internets Whats Next Awards are: Marion County, Florida, marioncountyfl.org Transparency City of Palm Bay, Florida, palmbayflorida.org Online Innovation City of Reno, Nevada, reno.gov Citizen Engagement City of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, cityofgp.com Green Gov City of San Angelo, Texas, cosatx.us - Visual Impact In this digital age, municipal websites have become the go-to source of information for residents and the first impression for visitors, businesses and families thinking of moving into a community, said Ashley Fruechting, Vision Internets director of strategic initiatives. Our Whats Next Awards spotlight municipalities that exemplify how local government can embrace innovative technology to transform their organizations and enhance community interaction. Todays citizens demand transparency, so agencies must go above and beyond to share information with residents using online tools. Marion Countys new website does just that; it provides quick and easy access to useful and accurate information, earning it the Whats Next: Transparency Award. The website allows City staff to respond to citizen inquiries faster, while residents can sign up for e-Notifications in selected categories and easily share City information via social media. The City of Palm Bay earned Whats Next:Online Innovationhonors by turning its website into a community information warehouse. Visitors can quickly and easily pay utility bills, view and download forms, submit citizen service requests and much more. Since its launch in March 2014, the City website has seen an increase in registered users and site traffic. Fresh ideas and state-of-the-art online tools made the City of Reno a standout in the Whats Next:Citizen Engagementcategory. TheCitys new website provides visitors with a positive and engaging online experience. Its#thinkrenocampaign gives citizens an interactive forum to share ideas that will help improve their community. Green Gov streamlines the business of government by reducing material resources required for council meetings, job applications, FOIA requests and other common processes. From litter reports, online environmental publications and a comprehensive ecological directory to department newsletters, theCity of Grande Prairiehas efficiently utilized its website to promote a healthy environment for its community. Going from print to digital is saving some $4,300 per year plus countless hours of staff time, makingGrande Prairiethis years Whats Next: Green Gov Award winner. The City of San Angelo won Whats Next: Visual Impact honors for turning its drab, static, and confused website into one with order, vibrancy, color and compelling photos. The Citys website now reflects the communitys unique spirit and charm. Digital technology from social media to text messaging and interactive websites is a major force helping to increase citizen participation and foster greater accountability of governments at all levels, said Fruechting. As the relationships between citizens and public institutions change, our job as government website developers is to continue to look for whats next on the horizon to help local governments anticipate and meet the changing needs of their constituents. For more informationabout Vision Internets transformative government website technology, please call 888-263-8847 or visitvisioninternet.com/inforequest. About Vision Internet? Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Vision Internet is a national leader in government website development with more than 500 government, non-profit and education clients in U.S. and Canadian communities with populations that range from less than 1,000 residents to more than 5 million. The company creates cost-effective solutions that increase government efficiency, transparency and interactive communications with citizens. Over the past 18 years, the company has earned hundreds of prestigious awards for its unique websites. In 2013, Vision Internet launched visionCMS, a powerful, easy to use content management system developed with feedback from hundreds of municipal clients. For more information visitwww.visioninternet.com. CONTACT: Rose DeVries 310-656-3100 [email protected] SOURCE: Vision Internet Copyright eTeligis Inc. 2014. All rights reserved. |