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NEWS RELEASE

WASHINGTON,
Sept. 11, 1996
PRNewswire

GSA Provides Government Internet Information Service

As part of its ongoing effort to provide enhanced services to the citizens, Acting Administrator David J. Barram, announced today that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is launching a unique government Internet service that will make it easier for everyone, everywhere to access and search for government information on the Internet.

GIX, which is short for Government Information Exchange, is an operational prototype, top-level home page developed by the Office of Network Applications of GSA's Federal Telecommunications Service (FTS). GIX is available on the Internet now and can be accessed at URL: http://www.info.gov.

"This new service will provide a seamless government information network on the Internet that is easy for the American public to access and use," Barram said. "It will provide a convenient entry point for the public to find local, state, federal, and foreign government information."

Greg Woods of Vice President Gore's National Performance Review said that GIX has already helped improve government's service to the public by hosting the President's Customer Service web site. He explained that the Customer Service page showcases federal agencies that have committed to making significant improvements in their service to the public. "Customers of these agencies can even use the Internet to comment on the services they have received," Woods explained. "All levels of government can use GIX the same way, to put ideas in front of the public. This gives us a great tool for reinventing government."

"The addition of GIX will move the government one step closer to being able to provide to citizens one-stop shopping for government services," said Robert Woods, GSA's FTS Commissioner, who has been an advocate of this NPR effort.

Ron Piasecki, Assistant Commissioner for Network Applications said that he hopes GIX will facilitate information and resource sharing among the various levels of government to better serve the needs of the American public. Piasecki credited Henry Lai, who heads the Center for Emerging Technologies, and his dedicated staff for hatching the idea of GIX and making it a reality.

Lai, who also heads other information technology initiatives with the states of Iowa, Arizona and Nebraska, said that he hopes GIX will serve as a catalyst for local, state, and federal governments to work together to define how the government as a whole can better and more seamlessly present information and resources on the Internet.

Using current information technologies, GIX is moving information sharing efforts to the forefront and provides a virtual roadmap to a vast array of government information in a user-friendly platform. GIX pointers will link everyone, everywhere to a ready reference resource for searching and locating desired information.