Web Service for State Government

You are a member of the Web site management team of a state government. You have worked on all of the state’s Web sites from time to time and have managed the launch of four major sites and the redesign and relaunch of two others. Some of the Web sites on which you have worked include electronic commerce features such as order acceptance, payment processing, and purchasing.

You report to Anne Nelson, the state’s CIO. Anne asked you to lead a project to explore the potential uses of Web services in carrying out state government activities. She scheduled a formal briefing at which you will present an overview of Web services technology. You will also outline specific applications of Web services technologies to specific tasks that the state either currently performs or that it might perform in the future.

Anne knows that the state has many current and potential applications that could use Web services technologies, so she asked you to focus on four specific areas of state government your briefing. At the briefing, you will address the directiors of four state departments: the Attorney General’s Department of Corporation Records, the Tax Administration and Collection Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Management.

The Attorney General’s Department of Corportation Records maintains the official records of corporations chartered by the state or holding licesnses to do business in the state. In addition to the original charter or license, companies must file annual reports that include the names and addresses of corporate directors and officers, the amount of company stock issues and redeemed during the year, and the current address of the company.

The Tax Administration and Collection Department is responsible for accepting income tax, personal property tax, and sales tax return filings of companies and individuals. The department also processes payments of these taxes and authorizes the State Treasurer to issue refunds that are due to taxpayers who have overpaid their taxes. The department currently provides tax forms and instructions in Adobe PDF format on its Web site. It also maintains an extensive frequently asked questions (FAQs) list of the site.

The Department of Motor Vehicles issues driver’s license renewals and vehicle registration renewals (for cars, trucks, and boats) and accepts auto dealerships’ monthly reports of vehicles purchased or sold on its Web site. The site also includes extensive collections of information about motor vehicle laws and administrative rulings that visitors can review to ensure they are in compliance.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Management provides downloadable applications for hunting and fishing licenses on its site. Current hunting and fishing license holders can renew their licenses and pay their annual fees on the Web site. Companies that have state-issued permits to undertake logging or mining operations can file their monthly activity reports on the department’s Web site, too.

Anne suggest that you review current IT trade publications (both in print and on the Web) to learn more about Web services applications that have been implemented in government agencies. She also recommends that you examine a number of other state Web sites to see how they are performing tasks.

1. Prepare a briefing report of about 200 words in which you describe Web services technology in a way that will be understandable to the four department directors, who are experienced administrators, but are not technology experts.

2. Prepare a briefing report that outlines opportunities for the use of Web services in each department. Include about 100 words for each department.

3. Prepare an analysis of costs and benefits for two major applications of Web services that you identify. In this setting, a benefit can arise from an increase in revenue, a reduction in expense, an improvement in the quality of service provided, or an increase in the speed with which a service is provided. This report should be directed to Anne and should include an implementation recommendation (whether the state should implement or should on implement) for each of the two Web service applications you identified. This report should be about 300 words in length.