Oracle Launches E-gov Initiative

Oracle Corp., one of the world's largest software providers, has launched

a global initiative aimed at helping governments go electronic.

Oracle, based in Redwood Shores, Calif., made the announcement on Super

Tuesday to illustrate the connection between politics and technology. And

"connecting" is the key concept in the company's three-pronged approach

for designing effective e-governments: connecting government employees,

connecting citizens and connecting businesses, said Jay Nussbaum, executive

vice president of Oracle Service Industries.

Oracle in June will release a government version of its e-Valuator interactive

software tool now used to help companies assess the potential dollar value

of e-business for a potential firm, said an Oracle spokesman.

"In the U.S. alone this year, we'll see the first Internet-enabled census,

the first legally-binding election over the Internet, and online tax filing

services provided by more and more states," Nussbaum said in a release.

"Now, with governments worldwide having emerged safely through the "Y2K

lock-down,' industry analysts are predicting explosive growth in the market

for e-government technology."