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E-Business Secrets
Brian Livingston
E-the-people: Business helps government do business

Private e-businesses are finding that there's money to be made in helping government agencies respond to citizens 24 hours a day -- a process one advocate of the technology, Marc Strassman, calls "e-the-people."

NetClerk, a California company, now provides online permit processing services for more than 1,500 U.S. cities, although it's been in business only since 1999. NetClerk's services are free to cities, but builders wanting to use the services must pay a sliding scale starting at $100 for eight permits. The company is now considering a flat $30 fee per permit, according to a source within the company who asked not to be identified.

The City of San Jose, Calif., is one example of a government agency that allows building permits to be submitted by contractors and homeowners using a Web browser. The city requires applicants to obtain a digital signature (a unique electronic file) to verify their identity before submitting applications. Applicants without a digital signature can still print and mail an application with an ink signature.

Strassman, president of Citizens United for Excellence in E-Government, a Los Angeles-based political organization, says governments at all levels should allow citizens to conduct all business using digital signatures, including the signing of initiative petitions.

A similar group, the Washington-based Council on Excellence in Government, recently released a poll conducted in January by Democrat Peter Hart and Republican Robert Teeter. The report shows that 56 percent of all those polled and 67 percent of those who had recently used a government Web site said that e-government would have a positive effect on the way government operates.

RESOURCES:

NetClerk Backgrounder Page:

http://www.netclerk.com/htdocs/about/backgrounder.html

City of San Jose's "Permits Online" Web site: http://www.sjpermits.com/sjpermit/prereqs.htm

Citizens United for Excellence in E-Government:

http://www.smartinitiatives.org

Council on Excellence in Government report:

http://excelgov.org/techcon/egovex/index.htm

LIVINGSTON'S E-BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

With all the talk about how easy it is for shoppers on the Internet to click away to a competing site, I'm realizing that my own surfing habits are becoming more fickle. That aspect of customer loyalty, or lack of it, is the main point of Patricia Seybold's new book,

"The Customer Revolution."

Following up on her successful 1998 work, "Customers.com," Seybold underscores her belief that customers are in control as never before. Those businesses that have customers who have a good experience at their site will prosper, she says, while businesses that have frustrated customers will decline.

Seybold believes that the music industry, locked in its struggle with Napster, is just the first of many markets that will be shaken to their foundations. That's a trend that we can either try to resist or try to exploit.

"The Customer Revolution" (Crown Business Books) More information is

at http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?0609607723.

LIVINGSTON'S TOP 10 NEWS PICKS O' THE WEEK

1. Just how did someone get those fake MS certificates?

http://www.internetnews.com@1c.to/?3eb

2. Yes, e-businesses can make money, look at Verisign

http://www.nationalpost.com@a6r.ms/?7d3

3. Half of office Web use is personal, not work related

http://www.business2.com@a2.tc/?bbb

4. Many Web sites report how badly others are doing

http://www.jpost.com@836.as/?fa3

5. Is the Net democratic? Not as it's used in China

http://www.iht.com@a6r.ms/?138b

6. Group accuses TiVo of collecting personal information

http://www.privacyfoundation.org@5a0.tc/?1773

7. World e-commerce will grow almost tenfold, 2000-2004

http://www.idc.com@th.gs/?1b5b

8. How the Internet is changing the English language

http://news.bbc.co.uk@1c.to/?1f43

9. Fiercely independent Salon.com may be takeover bait

http://www.inside.com@a2.tc/?232b

10. No good Web names left? Get a free URL redirection

http://www.webmasterbase.com@54.vg/?2713

THIS WEEK'S 'I'M GLAD SOMEONE DID THAT ON THE WEB' PAGE

It may not be the largest set of data about the 2000 U.S. Census, but it's useful and darn pretty -- that's USA Today's interactive map of the 50 states, with links to charts and stories on each state I'm talking about. The Census Bureau is releasing the figures gradually, but all the states will have been covered by April 1, 2001. So make a note to check back soon if your state isn't listed yet.

Interactive map and stories on Census 2000 data can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/news/census/index.htm.

*********

E-BUSINESS SECRETS -- Our mission is to bring you such useful and thought-provoking information about the Web that you actually look forward to reading your e-mail.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: E-Business Secrets is written by consumer advocate Brian Livingston, an InfoWorld contributing editor. Research Director: Ben Livingston (no relation). Brian has published 10 books, including:

Windows Me Secrets: http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?34939

Windows 2000 Secrets: http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?34130

Win a book of your choice free if you're the first to send a tip Brian prints. mailto:tips@SecretsPro.com


Brian Livingston , an InfoWorld contributing editor, has published 10 books, including Windows Me Secrets and Windows 2000 Secrets. Win a book free if you're the first to send a tip Brian prints. Send in your tips today, at tips@secretspro.com.



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