Deloitte, IBM Finish Michigan Portal Redesign

Michigan has launched a new e-government portal this week with the assistance of Deloitte Consulting and IBM Corp., the companies said July 13.

Deloitte held a contract with Michigan for e-government strategy and overall program management, while IBM held a separate contract with the state for technical services and support directly related to the portal.

New York-based Deloitte received $3 million for the project, the company said. IBM of Armonk, N.Y., received $3.2 million for the first part of the project, but will receive $7 million total over several years, according to that company.

Michigan's portal incorporates best practices of public- and private-sector portals, according to Deloitte. To this end, it provides a common presentation across all state agency Web sites, includes personalization and uses a statewide search engine.

The portal is organized according to customer need, rather than state agency. The categories include travel and recreation; business services; family, health and safety; education and career development; state government, licensing and certification; and permits.

The portal provides access to more than 70 online services. About 40 more services will be added over the next year, according to state and company officials.