HTE launches e-government gateway

About 1,600 cities and counties using HTE Inc. government software will

soon join the electronic government craze.

HTE's Click2Gov is new software that will tie its current government software,

which many cities and counties have, to the Internet, allowing cities to

offer citizens access to government services online. The gateway provides

a message-based interface that will link Internet transactions to current

government databases and applications.

"It's not a situation where people are going to lose their jobs," said Gil

Santos, HTE vice president. "It's a situation where government can improve

services and be competitive."

HTE offers several software packages that cities and counties across the

country use, such as financial (payroll, human resources), community services

(taxes, building permits, land management), utilities (billing, work orders),

public safety (computer-aided dispatch, records), education (curriculum,

grade reports) and parks and recreation.

If customers want to put those services online for citizens, they can buy

the software from HTE.

HTE interviewed customers to determine which products to offer first. Utility

billing was the most-wanted feature and will be available by the end of

June. Online building permits will follow, as well as the HTE's 50-plus

other features, but no timetable has been set for those, Santos said.

The company will also offer its clients a World Wide Web page template to

offer the services. The city or county could then add its name or logo.

However, Santos said, he expects that many governments will design their

own site.

The online transactions will be processed in real time, not in batch system,

Santos said.

"Once you perform the action, it's there — it's done," he said.