The E-Government Act is an innovative bill requiring the use of information technology to improve the way government interacts with citizens and businesses.
Microsoft pledged to continue working with Lieberman, Burns and other congressional leaders who support e-government initiatives to help the federal government build a world-class e-government infrastructure.
Through technology and the Internet we can make government more accessible, efficient and user-friendly, Jack Krumholtz, director of Federal Affairs for Microsoft, said. Microsoft shares the senators’ belief that technology can revolutionize the way government operates and empower citizens by making government resources available to them any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft and its industry partners are already working to provide e-government solutions to the public sector. In March, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates announced one of the most significant e-government solutions ever implemented: the United Kingdom’s Government Gateway project. This innovative program is on track to have all government transactions in the United Kingdom online by 2005.
Through the Government Gateway project, British citizens will eventually experience government interactions much more seamlessly. For example, the purchase of an international plane ticket from a travel agency could automatically update an expired passport or submit an application for a travel visa in the destination country without the citizen ever having to explicitly interact with the government. Other examples of future online transactions include registering newborn children, applying for passports and visas, and registering automobiles.
