The official website of the state of Utah, Utah.gov, is the recipient of the 2008 Best of State award in the category of Community Development, due to its extensive services rendered, to over more than 1000 citizens of that state. According to a release from the state, apart from its effectiveness in delivering these services, the website has also gained popularity as being the most visited website, leading up to nearly two million visits per month.
While announcing the award, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, appreciated the service provided by the web site and congratulated the staff at the Department of Technology Services and all agencies who are responsible for creating and maintaining the web site. He said that: “This recognition shows our commitment to providing innovative and cutting-edge resources to businesses and citizens alike.”
Commenting on the accessibility of the web site, Mr Steven Fletcher, state CIO and executive director of the Department of Technology Services said: “Utah.gov provides both businesses and citizens easy access to hundreds of services and it's one of the most citizen-friendly sites in the nation”. He further added that “This award recognizes Utah.gov's robust functionality and its appealing design.”
The choice of the recipient of award is tedious as it is judged by more than 100 judges. The nominees are all judged on their individual merits based on their innovative, originality and excellence in their respective fields along with their impact and contribution to the community as a whole. Hence the success of the Utah's web site is revealed in it, being the recipient of this award for the two years consecutive which included both 2007 and 2008.
