Should Governments Build iPhone Apps During a Recession?
The State of Utah has released the first iPhone app by a state government and it is pretty impressive. In addition to the directory of departments and services available through the Utah.gov app (iTunes link) there's also a second app available called the Utah Professional License Lookup.
Would you like your local and state governments to offer iPhone apps? We can see some reasons for it and some reasons why it might not be such a good idea.
The iPhone clearly offers the most compelling mobile interface on the market. Making government services findable through that interface is quite appealing. All the listings you can find and "click to call" through the app are google-able already, but there's something to be said about click-and-scroll navigation through an officially structured system of organization. For many people working in the field, or driving down the street and looking for someone official to complain to about their neighbors or area businesses, government services through an interface like this could be a real boon.
The possibilities to take government iPhone apps even further are endless. RWW reader Celeste LeCompte, for example, says "As a cyclist, I'd love to have a location-aware app for mapping & reporting potholes, seeing who else has reported [an] issue."
Is This Really Appropriate?
There's something about seeing governments spend money on an iPhone app that seems a little questionable though, especially at a time like this. With so many people out of work and losing their homes - is building an app for a device owned by the relatively well-to-do really a good priority? In theory such apps could increase economic productivity and thus more than pay for themselves. That's the kind of trickle-down argument that gets made all the time about everything.
The iPhone is also a very locked-down, proprietary system that is far from universally accessible. A universally accessible web interface could be more appropriate. Most government websites could really use some help too, so design energy put in that direction could be a better choice.
What do you think? Does it make sense for governments to spend money on building their own iPhone apps? If so, what would you like to see in one?
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It doesn't make sense when they could do much of this using web technologies. And if they really need access to location services and other APIs in the phones, they could be spending our money better by making them more cross-platform through the use of things like PhoneGap.
Mathew, I was thinking about PhoneGap too.
This current economic situation was caused, mainly, by inactive government. Here we have instances of government attempting proactive engagement. So there are areas of government attempting to leverage technology. That's good. Not bad.
In bad economic times, government should always allocate a small budget for exploring new ways to improve services to it's customers. Whining about whether it is an iPhone app and so called "phone-gap" really is not the point. By experimenting with new services you figure out how to improve services overall. This is exactly what the Obama administration is trying to promote in initiatives like electronic health records. The whiny reporter asking the question in a way that shows a pre-set opinion is not journalism, it is advocacy.
A recession is precisely the time when governments should be spending money.
This article should have a Microsoft and Friends tag line at the end. This is pure foolishness. I guess government shouldn't make any investment in information technology at all. Making services more accessible is a waste of time and money. I guess the OBAMA administration should be made aware of this revelation you have had.
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the millennium this morning and write this article? Using the iphone API to create and develop a services app is not only cheap but the ROI will be realized in just a few short months for services who have little to no exposure like gov services. iphone for the rich?? its by far the most economical device of its type. I think the shear number of units being sold every month takes the wind out your sales. Besides this is stimulating the IT market creating work for hundreds of developers who would not be working, spending money in the same "bad economy" your talking about. keeping those same poor folks who don't own a computer or read readwriteweb articles much less read would be my guess. Tell Bill Gates and its to late to develop a WinPhone when you meet for coffee tomorrow to go over how well this article did. Oh that's right they did develop a windows based phone but last time I checked it cost tons more, development environment sucks and its failed as a platform. By the way are you Amish?
This article should have a Microsoft and Friends tag line at the end. This is pure foolishness. I guess government shouldn't make any investment in information technology at all. Making services more accessible is a waste of time and money. I guess the OBAMA administration should be made aware of this revelation you have had.
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the millennium this morning and write this article? Using the iphone API to create and develop a services app is not only cheap but the ROI will be realized in just a few short months for services who have little to no exposure like gov services. iphone for the rich?? its by far the most economical device of its type. I think the shear number of units being sold every month takes the wind out your sails. Besides this is stimulating the IT market creating work for hundreds of developers who would not be working, spending money in the same "bad economy" your talking about. keeping those same poor folks who don't own a computer or read readwriteweb articles much less read would be my guess. Tell Bill Gates and its to late to develop a WinPhone when you meet for coffee tomorrow to go over how well this article did. Oh that's right they did develop a windows based phone but last time I checked it cost tons more, development environment sucks and its failed as a platform. By the way are you Amish?
Absolutely no taxpayer funds were used to build these applications.
Second to last paragraph in this article:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/UtahGov-Launches-Two-Free-bw-14910163.html
There's nothing wrong with government agencies developing apps that can improve their own efficiency, *if* those apps can be developed at a reasonable cost. Generally, government agencies aren't good at that sort of thing. I'd have to see the price tag before I can pass judgment on Utah's iPhone app.
And certainly, the priority should be on improving the interface of their websites. Utah's is pretty good. My state, Michigan's, is awful. No iPhone apps for Michigan, thank you!
Spending taxpayer dollars during a recession can be a very risky thing to do. Nixon, Ford and Carter tried it during the 1970's. The strategy was a spectacular failure.
While fiscal prudence is required in a crisis, we have to look at this for what it is.
A state government has accepted that mobile computing is the future. That's incredibly significant, incredibly foresightful.
The iPhone currently has unparalleled mindshare (and a damn good SDK beating the pants off the other mobile platforms). It's the first but it won't be the last.
The entire purpose of this direction, according to the CTO of Utah's technology dept, is to make government more efficient, as well as to improve customer service. I work at Utah's workforce agency and was approached by the CTO to begin participating in their development of apps for our customers. He envisions a job service app available on mobile platforms (we're also working on platform-independent services and sites) that would also allow job seekers to view job openings within a certain radius of his or her location, for example. Making it easier to find jobs is something that our state's citizens could use any time, especially during a recession. I love working for a state government that is so forward-thinking.
I think an iPhone app is a nice to have if your basics are well taken care of. So start with usable sites and webservices that work well on most desktop and mobile browsers out of the box and once that is done, see if you need to target more specialistic platforms.
Not everyone has an iPhone, government making iPhone only apps is another example of using tax payer dollars for a privileged few. Just wanted to point that out for you liberal iPhone users who are all about happiness and equality.
I support this app entirely- so let's discuss the bottom line of the article, "Should Governments Build iPhone Apps During a Recession?" I'm a developer, not an economist- but is this a genuine question? Consider the absolutely insane amount of money our governments (local, state, federal) spend on... everything, compared to the probable cost of an iPhone app that does a simple search lookup. I think the last place we should question our governments spending is on significant technology adoptions...
The real question here (which unfortunately only got a small part of the article) is, "Should our government be investing in isolated technology?" To which the obvious answer is no- but this is an important step. Once the government realizes the benefits offered by mobile computing, they will start developing ubiquitous systems.
But again- I'm a developer... not an economist. :)
In this recession, governments are laying off workers just like everybody else and have to do less with more. If they automate their services and make them easier to access online, perhaps we won't have long lines to do things that could have been done online for the last ten years, and in some states already are.
As for limiting it to the iPhone,or smartphones in general, they have to start somewhere. Not everyone who has an iPhone is rich, either. Some people just want them and save to get them.
Maybe if they make a Blackberry one and a Palm one too, but as Sean C pointed out, it doesn't make any sense to be helping the wealthy and technologically sophisticated get even better access to government information. What would make sense is... uh oh... old school tech here... better hotlines.
Also something like transparent issue tracking. Complaints filed, addressed, by whom, what action was taken, move on.
Apparently... Utah.Gov is the state of Utah’s official Web portal (http://www.Utah.gov)...It is managed and operated without tax funds through a public-private partnership between the state and Utah Interactive, the Salt Lake City-based official eGovernment partner for the state of Utah. Utah Interactive is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC...sounds like they're seperate...
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/UtahGov-Launches-Two-Free-bw-14910163.html">http://finance.yahoo.com/news/UtahGov-Launches-Two-Free-bw-14910163.html">http://finance.yahoo.com/news/UtahGov-Launches-Two-Free-bw-14910163.html
A few thoughts:
* Development cost for iPhone apps is so low that this is actually a smart investment by Utah.
* I read recently that low-income and even homeless people are turning to basic iPod Touch devices for their email / web needs. Wifi is publicly available and iPods cost a lot less than even an entry level PC. Not to mention that iPods are much more portable and practical for a homeless person. Yes, we have a digital divide, but iPod-based social apps are actually a small step in the right direction.
* Complaints about government investing in iPod solutions come from a 1990s perspective. Looking forward, these will be the norm, and older solutions like paper forms and walk-in offices will gradually disappear.
Ideally, we should be moving toward a system where the government and the public work synchronously with the same goals in mind; and improved information exchange seems like a natural step in that direction. In the most recent issue of Wired, an article (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-04/gp_efficiency) discussed how power companies are paying out large amounts of money to incentivize "super-users" to cut back on energy usage during certain times; also discussed was an iPhone app that allows people to monitor their own energy usage. Government initiatives are needed-- and technology in the hands of people not only improves efficiency on a broad scale, but also mobilizes individuals to make positive changes.
I was just in SLC on business, and I was pleasantly surprised how easily I was able to get at information about the UTA TRAX train system that runs through the city from my BlackBerry. The TRAX site used a WAP-based mobile site for its information. iPhone apps offer some real amazing UI possibilities and the ability to deliver richer content, but often times a simple WAP site can be just as effective AND be just as usable on a Motorola RAZR as a smartphone.
The thing I want most on my iPhone is public transport information. I think that involves exposing the data to google, rather than something iPhone specific. Clicking the bus icon in the maps app here (Queensland, Australia) just gives an error.
This is a ridiculous question. Of course the "government" should do whatever it needs to do to make its operations and public access more efficient. The Toy Lounge of St. Paul MN - http://thetoylounge.com - will work with any government agency to create iPhone apps for public service, and what's more we'll offer our services at our cost to any legitimate state or US government agency. How is that for a stimulus package? Contact us at the Toy Lounge if you can use our help. The Toy Lounge is a registered iPhone developer.
If the app is useful, then they definitely should.
I think governments developing iphone applications is a great idea, as long as they do not spend millions of dollars doing it. There are hundreds and hundreds of applications that will benefit both the government and the public. The problem with most government websites are they have too much information on them; like IRS.gov, which has over 20,000 documents on their site. Given enough time and resource anyone can find whatever they need on IRS.gov, but who has time. What iphone applications tend to do is force developers to cut manageable chunks of information and tailor it to the device (iphone). If you ever search a government site you know that this is a very good thing