Utah is the first state to adapt to the following new reality: in 2014, for the first time, Americans used more mobile devices than PCs to access the Internet.
Reports GOVERNING Magazine:
Just a handful of state and local governments so far have designed mobile-friendly websites and services, while governments in other countries have done more advanced work with mobile applications — especially in developing countries where smartphones are often the only way most people have to connect to the Internet, according to the Center for Technology in Government.
But one U.S. state has taken the lead when it comes to redesigning websites to work effectively on tablets and smartphones and could be a model for other states to follow. Utah was the first state to develop an iPhone app, which came out in 2009 and let users check the licensure status of professionals in the state. It was also the first state tocreate an app for Google Glass that sends users notifications about approaching trains and light rail and other transit-related information.
While many states might worry about who gets left behind if they aggressively push a mobile-centric way of serving the population, in Utah the problem is just the opposite. It’s the youngest state in the nation with about a third of its 2.8 million people under the age of 18, giving it a large demographic of people who are comfortable with conducting transactions on their mobile device.
