By California Technology Agency Secretary Carlos Ramos
Secretary Carlos Ramos, California Technology Agency
Millions of Californians carry mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablet computers, transforming how they access information and connect to service providers. More and more people are using this technology as a convenient way to access services such as shopping, banking, healthcare, entertainment and government. Mobile computing has become an indispensable line of communication between citizens and government. This technological transformation has created an opportunity for state government to provide efficient and effective services and interaction with its citizens.
Californians use mobile devices to access information and services conveniently – at any time, from any place and any device. Mobile devices are so integrated in our lives that it would be hard for many of us to imagine life any other way. 93 percent of California adults have a mobile phone. Calls received from mobile phones account for 77 percent of all 9-1-1 calls in California. What once was merely a convenience, accessing information from a mobile device has now become an expectation of the public.
Our challenge and opportunity is to leverage the public’s embrace of mobile technology to make government more convenient, more responsive and accessible at any time, from any place. And California is heeding the call:
• California has more than 60 mobile applications.
• The Department of Motor Vehicles’ DMV Now application allows users to find local offices (with current wait times) and receive directions based on the location of the user’s smartphone. Customers can take sample written driving tests, access a library of DMV driver education videos, and other important DMV alerts.
• California’s Award-winning Mobile.Ca.Gov (m.ca.gov) site connects the wireless public to government by using web-based apps that work across device platforms. The state’s common template makes it fast, easy, and inexpensive for departments to develop mobile applications, making it possible to create apps in days rather than months. The template utilizes the device GPS capability to detect a user’s location and provide maps to nearby offices, parks and other points of interest. The Mobile.Ca.Gov site receives more than 1500 "hits" per day and that number is growing.
Mobile devices are more than a convenience—they serve as a vital productivity tool, and are bridging the digital divide for many Californians. According to the Pew Research Center, most users under 30, report that they "mostly go online using their phones." Without mobile devices, many of these Californians would not have Internet access.
The California Technology Agency is collaborating with state agencies to improve service to mobile device users by developing apps that conveniently and efficiently meet their needs. It is no accident that California’s 2012 Information Technology Strategic Plan calls for accessible and mobile government. Mobile applications and mobile devices are powerful tools that have the potential to transform how we deliver services in the same way the Internet transformed services in the last decade. With the public’s move to mobile devices, there is only one way for California to address the challenge and the opportunity that mobile devices provide.
For more information about California’s mobility, please contact the California Technology Agency (916) 319-9223 and visit www.ca.gov/Apps.
