Local governments and state agencies emerged from the pandemic stronger and better able to serve their communities because of the steps many of them took to modernize the way they work. Rather than slow down, the pace of change has grown faster and demand for digital services is stronger.
To address the growing demand for digital services, state and local leaders have brought many of their processes online, but so much of their work still requires staff. Governments need people to ensure that the right steps are followed to register a business, that the right documentation is submitted to process a deed or marriage license, and proper taxes are paid by employers or short-term rental owners.
Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise, and it also requires true cloud software.
From Newfangled Filing Cabinets to Predicting the Tax Impact of a Taylor Swift Show
Even just a decade ago if a government was looking to solve its document storage challenge, the staff likely would have considered newfangled storage shelving or another solution that was better than what they had before but was effectively the same. They needed to rethink their approach to storage.
In the digital era, most governments are loading their forms and workflows online and many are even adopting software that helps to track submissions like building permits or business license applications throughout the process, which improves service levels and transparency. The challenge is that they are now reaching another point of diminishing returns (like the new filing cabinets of yesteryear).
Challenges of Local Government Are Met with “True Cloud” Software
To truly improve the experience for their residents, businesses, and staff, innovative local government leaders need to rethink their approach. As the power of AI is being broadly experienced through public platforms like ChatGPT, many innovative local leaders are considering how they can build smarter workflows.
What if, for example, the portal where you submitted your tax filings knew how much you owed, saving individuals and business owners time and improving compliance rates? What if the same platform could project the impact of a Taylor Swift or Beyonce show on the occupancy and other taxes that the city collects to enable a clearer picture of revenues for better budgeting and planning?
Here’s the catch: even as governments have digitized, many will find out the bad news that they have effectively only upgraded their filing cabinets. That’s because many solution providers serving governments are deploying their software using client or VPN Access, which doesn’t give their government customers access to the full transformative power of the cloud.
This crucial difference is also leaving them more vulnerable to cyber- or ransomware attacks. Protecting critical data, including sensitive taxpayer data, makes cybersecurity a top priority for most public sector leaders. Yet, on-premise or client-based systems require the government’s IT staff to be responsible for maintaining servers and deploying security patches to ensure the protection of critical data.
How True Cloud Software Solves the Next Era of Challenges Facing Governments
Modern cloud software is constantly evolving, with updates and enhancements automatically delivered to all users with each new release. All adaptive enhancements that are made to the platform are made available to all users of the software.
True cloud software is fast and configurable. There is no installation required and nothing to secure, so governments can get up and running quickly with the latest and greatest technology without the need for expensive custom development workarounds or on-site maintenance.
Cloud software enables engineers to track and measure the frequently used parts of applications and analyze the usage paths to help gain insights on the user experience to continually improve upon it and introduce smart workflow steps powered by AI to drive the next stage of modernization.
Built on the world’s leading cloud infrastructure, users of cloud software benefit from built-in protections and rapid data backups. Leading cloud providers, like AWS, offer best-in-class security. The data is always protected should there be natural disasters or a system failure.
GovOS Is a True Cloud Provider
At GovOS, we are helping local governments overcome challenges in 2024 with true cloud government software solutions that adapt, evolve, and meet these demands head-on. We’re not just any provider; we are a partner dedicated to enhancing the resilience of local government operations.
Our government software products mold to the unique needs and regulations of each agency, ensuring a tailored approach to optimizing tax collection, licensing, records management, and more. We are reshaping the transition to the digital era, making modernization more manageable and less daunting.
