Sixteen states received and responded to the short questionnaire, which focused on e-government and particularly on its costs and benefits. The report is a very useful snapshot of the disparate approaches states are taking to the use of the Internet as a gateway to government services and information. Little information is available about the real costs at both the enterprise and agency levels of states' e-government initiatives. There is also little available evidence concerning cost savings due to state web portals. Considerable attention to coordinating activities among agencies and various levels of government is required in order for e-government to work smoothly from an enterprise perspective.
States reflect a blend of oversight, governing, and management structures.
The most cohesive models, however, are being led by bodies with a strong mandate and the authority to carry it out. The full report contains a great deal of information on the sixteen states' use and understanding of technology in government. To use the service, customers visit the site, enter the proper ticket or bill payment details, and information about the card or checking account they wish to use. The payment processing system then provides an online authorization and returns the results to the user, along with a printable transaction record and reference number. At present, relatively few services are actually provided, and the information available consists largely of relatively primitive links to government web pages.