INSIDE

m v mississippi interactive repOrt 2014

Twelve Months of Giving ............... 2

From the General Manager ........... 2

Application Spotlight ..................... 3

| continued on page 3 |

Mississippi’s Transparent Initiative DFa increases transparency through Online services

ississippi has taken a proactive stance to provide citizens with the means to trans-

parently engage with state government. In 2013, MSI partnered with The Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to expand transparency in Mississippi through the redesign of the State Transparency Website (http://www.transparency.mississippi.gov/). Featuring regularly updated budget appropriations, expenditures, and workforce data, citizens have access to agen-cies’ financial activity right at their fingertips. A multitude of search functions allows users to pull back the curtain on government and allows taxpayers of Mississippi full access to macro and micro views. From looking solely at the state

In January of 2014, it was reported that more Americans accessed the Internet from their smartphones and tablets as opposed to using a PC. This statistic is not a surprise to Mississippi Interactive (MSI), which implemented a mobile-forward

approach to eGovernment in 2010 and has not looked back since.In 2014, MSI continued to build on its success in the mobile arena by launching

more than 18 redesigned mobile-optimized websites for the State of Mississippi; most notably for: ms.gov, the Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, and the Office of Mississippi State Treasurer Lynn Fitch. Secretary of State Hosemann stressed the importance of mobile access when he said, “Users are coming to our site from mobile devices more than ever before. It is vital our services are available online on any device from any location in the state.” More than 40 percent of traffic to the Secretary of State website is from mobile visitors.

Mobility proved especially important with the launch of a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Medical Card Application for the Department of Public Safety (DPS). In Mississippi, commercial truck drivers are required to submit a medical certificate and pass a vision exam to hold a commercial driver’s license. With the vast majority of drivers always on the go, their window of opportunity for in-person renewals and submissions is limited. The launch of a mobile-optimized CDL Application allows drivers to apply for and submit the appropriate information to the department, and pay from any mobile device, allowing them to be road-ready without having to visit a DPS location.

Leading the mobile charge Celebrating Mobile Milestones in Mississippi

M

| continued on page 4 |

2 | MISSISSIppI INTErACTIvE rEpOrT 2014

From the General manager“Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”

– Bill Gates

Mississippi Interactive’s (MSI) numerous successes in 2014 were

a direct reflection of our state partner relationships. This year, my first as MSI general manager, I have had the privilege to work with Mississippi’s innovative leaders to achieve incredible milestones. Milestones including:• ContinuallygrowingMississippi’s

mobile-first strategy through the launch of first-of-their-kind services. The Department of Public Safety’s CDL Medical Card Mobile service utilizes mobile functionality to reach beyond traditional PC users to those CDL drivers on the go.

• DownloadsofMississippi’snativemobile applications topping 100,000.

• Prominentfeaturesinlocalandnational media outlets. In the last year MSI services were highlighted in nine media features.

• BeingrecognizedasNIC’sPortalofthe Year for outstanding community enrichment. As MSI embarks on its fifth year in

Mississippi, our main focus will be on continual collaboration with our partners, who have embraced the same passion for eGovernment advance-ment as we have. We have just begun to scratch the surface of innovation here in the state.

Dana WilsonMSI General Manager

Twelve Months of Givingmsi receives nic portal of the Year Honor for community service

ast year MSI was recognized as NIC’s 2013 Portal of the Year. Each year MSI’s parent company, NIC, selects a state portal that best represents CEO Harry Herington’s challenge to “get ahead by giving back.” NIC subsidiaries are encouraged to contribute

to their communities both physically and financially, and annual submissions are closely reviewed and selected by NIC’s executive team. With 30 NIC state portals, MSI was thrilled to have been chosen as the top portal among such stiff competition!

In 2013, the Mississippi Interactive (MSI) team completed the second “Twelve Months of Giving” outreach campaign. This year’s activi-ties not only strengthened the bond to our community, but also strengthened our bond to one another. In striving to represent all members of our team, MSI participated in a well-rounded collection of events, drives, and sponsor-ships throughout the year.

Some of the staff ’s favorite events of the year were the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K and The Little Light House Holiday Toy Drive. Both of these events have become highly antici-pated annual highlights. We are fortunate enough to have been able to grow our relationship with The Little Light House of Mississippi through multiple event sponsorships, and we look forward to continuing to do so in the coming years.

Through the St. Andrew’s Cathedral Breakfast Club, the MSI team also served breakfast to Jackson’s homeless for the second summer in a row. Other outreach efforts in 2013 included a Salvation Army Fire Drive to help restore lost merchandise from fire, sponsorship of the Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament, attendance at the Jackson Zoo’s event “Zoo Brew,” participation in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual Walk to Cure Diabetes, and membership in the Jackson Chapter of Habitat Young Professionals.

Since the beginning of MSI’s “Twelve Months of Giving” outreach campaign, our team has come to realize the positive impact on the community and on ourselves. There is an unmatchable joy that comes from working to improve one’s community, and we have found that it is contagious. Team members are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to give back individually or as part of our team, and our list of charities, groups, events, and drives continues to grow.

We are fortunate to live in a city that has so many outreach opportunities, and even more fortunate to have a team that is so supportive and active in all of our efforts. In 2013, the MSI team was able to contribute more than 379 volunteer hours and close to $10,000 in physical and financial donations, and we look forward to topping that in years to come! n

L

MISSISSIppI INTErACTIvE rEpOrT 2014 | 3

MSI’s native mobile application portfolio now contains more than 10 apps designed specifically for Android and iOS devices. Total downloads for these applications have exceeded 100,000 in 2014 as citizens continue to take advantage of the state’s mobile offerings, including:• MDOTtrafficprovideslivetrafficfeedsfrom

more than 400 cameras across the state andprovidesreal-timetrafficalertsforuserstraveling on state highways and roads. See the Application Spotlight for more information.

• MSReadymobileapplicationistheDepart-ment of Health’s emergency alert and preparedness application designed to keep citizens informed of emergencies through real-time push notifications.

• PocketRangerisadynamicmobileappforoutdoor enthusiasts that contains a wealth of hunting, fishing, and wildlife informa-tion. The interactive mapping provides GPS features and offline map use for hunters in any location in the state.

2015 will mark not only the fifth year of MSI’s successful mobile-first approach to eGovernment, but also the fifth year of MSI’s partnership with the State of Missis-sippi. New mobile applications are already

in development for Mississippi government agencies, and we are proud to partner with a state that continues to address the need for innovation in eGovernment and mobile advancements. n

Leading the mobile charge | continued from page 1 |

Did You Know?•Ms.govhasreceived21nationalawards

in the past three years.

•MSIhaslaunched10mobileapps,withdownloads totaling more than 100,000.

•In2014morethan$33millionwasprocessed on behalf of the state through the eGovernment program.

•Pageviewsontransparency.ms.govincreased more than 750 percent from 2,558 in March 2013 to 19,351 in March 2014.

•InAugust2014MSIlaunchedthe 100th eGovernment service since contract inception.

application spotlightMDOTtraffic Delivers Statewide Traffic Alerts

Launchedin2013,MDOTtraffichasbecomethestate’spremiertrafficandalertsmobileapplication.DevelopedbytheMSDepart-

ment of Transportation (MDOT) and Mississippi Interactive (MSI), this mobile app gives iOS and Android users the ability to receive local traffic-relatednews,incidentalerts,andstreamingcameraimageswhilethey’reonthego.Push,text,oremailnotificationsofreal-timetrafficalerts assists users in avoiding major accidents, construction, and road maintenance during their daily commute and can be customized based on a user’s location. Live camera feeds from an extensive list of more than 400 cameras are strategically placed throughout the state on all of the major roads and highways, and shaded county maps enable users to quickly locate “ice on road and bridge” alerts. The convenient mobile application was builtasacompaniontotheDepartment’salreadysuccessfulMDOTtraffic.comwebsite,andhas been downloaded more than 47,000 times since its launch.

© 2015 Trozzolo.com

m vMississippi Interactive, LLC200 S. Lamar St., Suite 800Jackson, MS 39201

(601) 351-5023; Fax (601) 852-1145support@msegov.comwww.msegov.com

budget to drilling down to specific agency expenditures, constituents are offered a hassle-free way to educate themselves about local and state government. Beyond that, job seekers in Mississippi can access salary statistics by occupation, or by state agency, to benchmark potential career paths or changes.

As an extension of transparency.ms.gov, and as a continuation of upholding state statutes, MSI teamed up with DFA to launch the Public Meeting Notices website (https://www.ms.gov/dfa/pmn), which offers a central source for all public meeting notices throughout the State of Mississippi. The

mobile-enhanced site takes transparency to a new level by not only engaging citizens interactively, but also encouraging them to participate in government on a person-to-person level. The site provides a weekly view of all meetings taking place agency-wide and includes a state agency search function as well. Viewing the calendar by specific agency highlights all meetings from the search date forward and offers visitors the option to subscribe to particular agencies for meeting updates.

In a move taking transparency from predominately citizen driven to citizen and business driven, the new Online Contract and

Procurement Search (https://www.ms.gov/dfa/contract_bid_search/), MSI and DFA’s latest transparency project, acts as the next platform for engaging Mississippians and the state’s partners. Mississippi is not only interested in the transparency of its govern-ment for its constituents, but recognizes that accessibility to business partners could also prove beneficial. This streamlined application puts current competitive solicitations and previously awarded contracts for the State of Mississippi on any mobile device, tablet, or computer, offering comprehensive details on the many contracts and bids available throughout our state. n

Mississippi’s Transparent Initiative | continued from page 1 |