NIC, AOL building e-gov guide

NIC and America Online are building a national e-government guide for state

government services and applications.

AOL's current Government Guide is being redesigned and is scheduled

to be launched in mid-October with an enhanced navigational structure and

state government content provided by NIC, said Kevin Childress, chief financial

officer at Overland Park, Kan.-based NIC.

"This will [allow] consumers and citizens to interface [with government]

in all 50 states, and it's free to taxpayers," Childress said, adding that

NIC has application agreements with 23 states and portal partnerships with

12 states. "It will bring AOL's 65 million users to government, which is

reflective of our philosophy."

The first phase of the new Government Guide will include access to civic

information and basic state government services. Future phases will include

enhanced transaction capabilities, including motor vehicle services, birth

certificate requests and tax payment applications.

"Government Guide has been so successful because we organize government

information according to the needs of our citizens," said Kathleen deLaski,

director of political and government programming at AOL. "We are happy to

work with NIC to expand access to e-government services to the state level

for our members."

The NIC-AOL agreement is for three years. The two companies will split

advertising revenues by half. NIC will keep a "vast majority" of any transaction

fees but will pay Dulles, Va.-based AOL a "modest carriage and promotion

fee in cash and stock," Childress said.