State government on Friday unveiled its revamped website, CA.gov, “the official flagship website for the state of California.”
“This overhaul is the latest milestone in the state’s ongoing digital strategyto improve user experience, accessibility and service delivery for millions of Californians,” says the announcement from the Governor’s Office. “By leveraging technology, California is transforming how residents interact with their government and ensuring that services are always within reach.”
A statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom said: “A big part of the work we’re doing to build a California for All is rooted in how accessible our government is to the people. As part of our ongoing work to connect people to their government, today we’re introducing a new CA.gov — California’s ‘homepage’ that serves as a portal to state services and programs.”
The statement from Newsom’s office added: “The redesigned CA.gov makes it easier for Californians to access hundreds of state services and departments. The website is designed to put users first — by being easy to navigate, responsive, and accessible to everyone — empowering Californians to easily connect with the resources and support they need. The site builds on work that recently earned the state an ‘A’ grade for its technology practices from the Center for Digital Government.*"
The revamp, which was done by the California Department of Technology’s (CDT) Office of Digital Services, drew plaudits from top state technology leaders.
“I am proud of the updated CA.gov website,” said Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong. “We are laser-focused on ensuring every Californian can easily access state services through the Internet. We will continue to ensure timely and accurate government information is just a click away. Whether you’re looking for assistance with essential services or want to learn about what the Golden State is doing for climate action, new business development, or California government — this site has it.”
CDT’s director, state CIO Liana Bailey-Crimmins, was equally congratulatory: “Building a seamless and accessible digital experience for Californians is our commitment. I am delighted the new and improved CA.gov website will be an information hub for current and future residents. Through CA.gov, we can deliver more services efficiently and with greater consideration of the needs of our communities.”
Blaine Wasylkiw, the state’s deputy chief technology innovation officer, also lauded the unveiling in a post on LinkedIn: “As part of our ongoing efforts at the California Department of Technology, my team and I are incredibly proud to have developed this revamped portal that will make it easier for millions of Californians to access essential state services and programs. … I’m proud to continue this important work of improving access to state digital services.”
The state’s first homepage went live in 1996, under the administration of then-Gov. Pete Wilson, and it offered only limited resources: information about the governor; the state’s history, culture and economy; doing business in California; government officials and agencies; and disaster preparedness. The last significant update of the site was in 2017.
“Using advanced technology, the site has a greatly improved search feature, works well on mobile devices and meets modern web standards,” the governor’s announcement says. “The previous version of CA.gov was launched in 2017, and as user needs and technology evolved, the state implemented the work to revamp it.”
Today, noted Wasylkiw, “Whether you're seeking support for your business, learning about climate action or navigating essential services, the new and improved CA.gov puts everything just a click away. And there’s so much more to come.”
CDT will continue to refine the website, the announcement says, “with scalable website language translation options to serve California’s diverse population, personalized services based on user location, and expanded tools to help users navigate government services more effectively.”
*The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, parent of Industry Insider — California and Government Technology magazine.
State’s Revamped ‘Flagship’ Homepage Offers Portal to Services, Programs
“I am delighted the new and improved CA.gov website will be an information hub for current and future residents,” said state Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins. “Through CA.gov, we can deliver more services efficiently and with greater consideration of the needs of our communities.”
