31 May 2005
Simple extensions of e-government services, such as the adoption of multimedia conferencing technology, could considerably improve election voter apathy, according to a leading industry figure.
This year's recent election turnout reached 61 per cent, which although representing a mild increase on the UK's all-time low of 59 per cent in 2001, is still cause for concern in the UK, writes PublicTechnology.net.
However Nigel Dunn, vice president of Genesys Conferencing, has suggested that by putting a face to an e-government service, public take-up will increase.
"In theory, e-government presents tremendous opportunities to move forward with better quality, cost-effective government services and a better relationship between the public and the government," said Mr Dunn.
"In practice, online services often leave people without enough personal interaction. Without due care e-government risks putting even more distance between the public and government."
He continued: "Making services accessible online is crucial, but to increase voter turn-out the government must recognise that an ongoing dialogue is required, not just the usual last minute campaign.
"E-government should be taken a step further and applied through the use of multimedia conferencing. No tax payers' money is needed for investment as the technology already exists and it can instantly deliver the accessibility and efficiency benefits that all e-government initiatives should."
Mr Dunn insisted that his comments were not simply a sales pitch for video-conferencing but were instead an important message for officials to heed in order to improve e-government service marketing.
"What was once considered a novelty is now crucial for conducting the business of government," he added. "Multimedia conferencing can literally put a face to e-government initiatives."© DeHavilland Information Services plc
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