Utah extends NIC e-gov contract

NIC Inc. won a four-year, multimillion-dollar contract extension for e-government services from Utah, the company announced Thursday.

Utah Interactive Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NIC of Overland Park, Kan., has developed and managed the Utah state portal since 1999. The contract uses a self-funded model where the company receives a percentage of the transaction fees collected on the site.

Under the initial contract, the company has developed more than 80 interactive online services, including everything from state income tax filings and professional license and business registration renewals to hunting and fishing licenses and driver's license and vehicle tag renewals.

Gov. Mike Leavitt said that the contract has transformed the way the state interacts with citizens and helped the state provide better services at less cost. The contract extension will help Utah continue its e-gov momentum, he said.

Val Oveson, Utah's chief information officer, approved the contract extension April 22, the company said. As state CIO, Oveson oversees the portal's e-gov operations and reviews individual agencies.

NIC manages state portals and outsourced e-government services for 18 states. The company has 228 employees and had annual sales of $47.5 million in 2002.