Pat was asked to make available for committee members the end result of DCBS s efforts to implement digital signatures. Some of the issues raised included using electronic commerce to apply for and issue licenses and certifications. In a more general discussion around the definition of electronic commerce, issues raised included privacy, the need to maintain parallel systems, infrastructure and customer demand. Business to business transactions will show immediate payoff. There appears to be a lack of statewide coordination in this area.
Policy is good, but someone has to take the lead and implement programs.
Projects will be developed working with the Internet committee and applications developed. Lessons learned will be shared with everyone to encourage collaboration and to avoid duplication of efforts and expense. There was some discussion about the need for interoperability and the risk of using proprietary systems. We should leverage existing, successful systems. It will be critical to provide an education and training component to explain electronic commerce and what it can do for the State in addition to training on how to use these new systems.