The new administration, whichever one it is, is going to want more online services. They re going to be appalled at what isn t being done electronically. The old stovepiped agency systems are hidden from the public and even from other government agencies. The next order of business is for computers supporting e-government to be turned inside out so that they face constituents and other agencies. Such systems will create more opportunities for sensitive data to be exposed to the outside world, which will create markets for new IT security products.
Web sites are just one component of the technology needed to support e-government.
New applications must tie together supporting databases and offer a platform for electronic services. At this point, federal IT experts say, it s too early to make predictions about which companies will corner the burgeoning market. Some of the agencies are looking to do it themselves. It s not clear who s going to make money on it. Nevertheless, e-government possibilities are luring many companies eager to build on their commercial successes.