Nomination for NASCIO 2012 Recognition Awards State of Hawaii Office of Information Management and Technology

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1 Nomination for NASCIO 2012 Recognition Awards State of Hawaii Office of Information Management and Technology 1. COVER TITLE: Business Registration Mobile Web App Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs CATEGORY: Digital Government: Government to Business (G to B) CONTACT: Name: Tung, Chan Title: Commissioner of Securities State Department: Commerce and Consumer Affairs Organization/agency: Business Registration Division City/State: Honolulu, HI address: Phone number: PROJECT INITIATION DATE: February 2011 PROJECT COMPLETION DATE: September 2011

2 Page 2 of 6 2. Executive Summary: Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division (Division) produced a suite of mobile optimized web services or "Mobile Apps" that are custom designed to make the State's online business registration services easy to use, no matter what type of mobile device is used. Our first Mobile App launched in September 2011 and was the first mobile app available by any agency at the state or county level in Hawaii and one of the first in the country for business registration. Our second Mobile App for annual renewals was the second in the state and the first in the nation for annual renewals. The mobile apps can be accessed for free by scanning our QR code with a mobile device or by visiting The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that as of early 2012, nearly half of all American adults are smartphone owners - up 11 percent over the past six months. Networking giant Cisco predicts that by 2016 there will be more than 10 billion smartphones in use around the world. In Hawaii, we have experienced this trend firsthand. People want to be able to work with the government from their mobile device, whether it is an iphone, Android, or tablet. We believe our suite of Mobile Apps responds to this demand while also driving more traffic to our online services and away from our manual processing, saving the Division time, money and other resources. Mobile App for Name Search and Purchasing Documents and COGS The Division launched its first mobile app in September The mobile app provides access to the same name search services and the ability to purchase filings dating back to the 1800's as our traditional online services, but features a simpler layout that optimizes the touch-screen mobile device experience. Features include larger text, bigger buttons, and improved working screens with simpler page layouts and quick transitions between screens. The mobile app makes it easy for the public to get information on a filed entity or name and allows them to instantly purchase certificates of good standing or other filed documents associated with that entity or name. Many purchased documents can be downloaded immediately once purchased. Documents are also ed to them directly, so they are accessible via a mobile device either way. Some of the documents, like certificates of good standing, are critical to loans, closings and other business transactions. With the mobile app, the public can be sure these documents are easily and readily available to them anywhere.

3 Page 3 of 6 3. Business Problem and Solution Description: Problem Statement, Assessment and Decision Process: In Hawaii, we are experiencing the trend that more and more people want to be able to work with the government from their mobile device, whether it's an iphone, Android, or tablet. The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that as of early 2012, nearly half of all American adults are smartphone owners - up 11 percent over the past six months. Networking giant Cisco predicts that by 2016 there will be more than 10 billion smartphones in use around the world. To stay apace with our customers, we felt that the mobile device trend could not be ignored. At the same time, we were continuing to look for ways to draw more customers to our online services. This has been an ongoing goal for us because online users save the state significant money and time by eliminating manual processing, paper entries and help desk calls. It is an important priority in building a business registry that limits manual interfaces so that the registry is accurate and fast, enough to process high volumes. The decision to develop mobile apps came in response to the escalating trend of mobile device usage and our interest in driving more filers to our online services. We assessed our services and chose to begin by focusing on two of our most popular online services. These services include annual report filings and business name search which is also one of the most widely accessed online services in the entire state. Our first mobile app is for business name search, a function that is accessed by over 6.8 million unique names a year and our second mobile app is for annual renewals which brings in over 85,000 annual filings a year. By providing easy mobile device access to these high traffic services, we felt it would reach the most customers, provide the most benefits and attract more users to our online services. Over a 7 month period beginning from the first mobile app's 9/2011 launch to 4/2012, we have seen an increase in online traffic from our first mobile app, including a 9% increase in online document purchases and a 32% increase in hits by unique names compared with the same period from the previous year (9/2010 to 4/2011). For each document purchased online, the Division saves between $2.50 to $3.00. Challenges, Issues, Barriers, Opportunities, etc.: The most significant and obvious challenge was translating our online services to the Mobile App platform. One issue was that our existing "traditional" online interface took advantage of a full screen and it relied on the use of a mouse for precise selection of links and fill-ins. This of course, does not suit the mobile app environment as mobile devices often use a much smaller screen while utilizing touch screen technology. What could typically be displayed on one laptop or desktop screen had to be translated to multiple screens which required us to re-think the entire work process. The sequencing of screens, workflow and design all had to be re-engineered in order to provide an optimal experience for mobile device users. While this process proved to be the most difficult and time-consuming challenge, the end result provides more usability with

4 Page 4 of 6 features including bigger buttons, larger text and symbols to substitute the more detailed text normally found on a full screen, and simpler page layouts with quick transitions between pages. Elements of the Solution: The Division worked with Hawaii Information Consortium (HIC), the State Portal Manager, to develop and put together a design that would address the challenges of translating a traditional online service to a mobile app. HIC agreed to work on the project at no cost to the Division and to the users. The Division led weekly meetings with HIC to review functionality and design, setting out specific goals and timelines. We worked in a development stage, testing stage, and beta launch. The project was clearly defined and our regular meetings required attendance by a project manager, the developers and the staff that would implement the state services. These important elements helped keep the project on track. Innovative characteristics: We believe our Mobile Apps are innovative not only in being the first mobile apps in the state and two of the first in the nation for business registries, but also in its usability, its efficiency and its thoughtful design. The screen sequencing, increased text size, careful design and placement of buttons and links, along with helpful information and other design functions make the service very easy to navigate and highly functional. Communications plan: To promote our services, we issued press releases, attended business conferences, did interviews, distributed links and information to key people and we exhibited our Mobile Apps in public forums for business people. State oversight, translatability: The Division remains responsible for the content and the mobile service. We direct HIC in making adjustments and improvements and we are jointly responsible for day-to-day management. We hope to adopt more of our services for mobile devices and expect to be able to leverage what we have already developed as a framework for future apps. 4. Significance Policy, Strategy and Goal Alignment: In supporting Governor Abercrombie's "New Day" policy, strategies and goals, the Division continues to strive to lead the way in using existing technology to serve the public. To that end, we worked to develop the Mobile Apps for some of our most popular online services including our first mobile app for business name search (online service accessed by over 6.8 million unique names a year) and our second mobile app for annual renewals (over 85,000 a year). Our Mobile Apps are one of the first in the nation for business registries and are the first mobile apps of any state agency in Hawaii.

5 Page 5 of 6 These Mobile Apps also support the gubernatorial goal of making it easier for the public to do business in our state. By providing business registration services on welldesigned mobile apps, we are helping the public to file their business documents, find business information and purchase certificates and other documents faster and easier than ever. The public can quickly take care of administrative details like buying a certificate of good standing, checking a name conflict or doing their annual filings while on the go, so they can get back to focusing on running their businesses. Scope: People are increasingly relying on their mobile devices to take care of their business, personal matters, school work, and more and they expect services that support this new way of life. It is a rapidly expanding trend that we have leveraged as an important part of the state's efforts to be as relevant and innovative as the private sector. We looked to give the public the kind of platforms that they wanted (mobile apps) and to do so for the most popular services we provide. Description of beneficiary groups: Through our Mobile Apps, the public can conduct business with the state business registration division with so much more ease and while on the go. Our traditional website version is great if you are accessing it from a desktop or laptop, but our mobile version offers more usability for those on the move. Users can conduct name searches, purchase certificates of good standing or other documents, and renew their annual filings anytime, anywhere. A person could be on a bus and find, buy and send a certificate of good standing to their banker to finalize a loan without getting off the bus. Improved access via mobile devices to online services means that customers can take care of their business quickly and easily. Improvement of the operation of government: From the Division's perspective, the Mobile Apps encourage online filings which saves the Division both time and money in processing the filings. Over the 7 month period beginning from the first mobile app's 9/2011 launch to 4/2012, we have already seen an increase in online traffic from our first mobile, including a 9% increase in online document purchases and a 32% increase in hits by unique names compared with the same period from the previous year (9/2010 to 4/2011). Increased online usage saves the Division between $2.50 and $3.00 per document in data entry and paper costs, resulting in ongoing annual savings. In the first month of adoption of the annual renewal Mobile App, over 2% of filers have used the app with the expected first year target range at 5%, or 5,000 filers. Because the mobile apps are so easy to use, the increase in usage has not increased requests for Help Desk support from BREG, adding additional savings to the Division in terms of Division cost per document.

6 Page 6 of 6 Another positive outcome has been the expressed excitement by the public that the state is meeting their needs and that we recognize the way they prefer to do business. This has improved customer relations and supports the reputation of the state as being quick, efficient, forward-thinking and business-friendly. 5. Benefits of the Project: The Mobile Apps encourage online filings which saves the Division both time and money in processing the filings. We have already seen a 9% increase in online documents purchased and a 32% increase in unique name visitors to our name search function over a 7 month period beginning from the 9/2011 launch to 4/2012 compared with the same period from the previous year (9/2010 to 4/2011). Increased online usage saves the Division between $2.50 and $3.00 per document in data entry and paper costs, which will result in ongoing annual savings. In the first month of adoption of the annual renewal Mobile App, over 2% of filers have used the app with the expected target usage at 5%, or 5,000 filers in the first year. Because the mobile apps are so easy to use, the increase in usage has not increased requests for Help Desk support from BREG, adding additional savings in terms of Division cost per document. Another positive outcome has been the expressed excitement by the public that the State is meeting their needs and that it recognizes the way they prefer to do business. This has improved customer relations and supports the reputation of the state as being quick, efficient, forward-thinking and business-friendly. Access to the Mobile Apps is free and does not require any downloading. Users will find larger text, larger buttons, and improved working screens with quick transitions between pages. The online service automatically recognizes the type of device being used to access it whether it's a mobile device or a computer and provides the customized layout design for that device ("mobile" version vs. "traditional" version). In terms of security, the mobile apps rely on the same https protocol for handling payments as the traditional website version and is equivalent in privacy. The State Portal Manager of ehawaii.gov, Hawaii Information Consortium LLC, worked with the Division to develop both applications at no cost to the Division or to customers. There are no additional costs associated with the project so there is no deduction of costs to any revenue benefits, state efficiency benefits, customer filing benefits and any other related benefits provided by the new Mobile Apps.