Kansas Launches Nation’s First Driver’s License Practice Exam For Amazon Echo Show

Kansas Launches Nation’s First Driver’s License Practice Exam For Amazon Echo Show

The Kansas Department of Revenue, in partnership with the Information Network of Kansas, recently launched its “Kansas Driver’s Practice Test,” the first driver’s license practice exam skill made for the Amazon Echo Show.

The skill, which can be accessed on all Amazon Echo devices, will equip Kansans to be safe and informed about the rules of driving. While preparing users for their actual exam, this skill will support their learning by testing their vehicle and motorcycle knowledge.

“In a world filled with technology, government agencies must strive to be at the forefront of innovation and create services that help citizens,” said Mark Burghart, Secretary of Revenue. “This skill can help new and experienced drivers and is just one way we are working to meet the needs of Kansans and provide tools that support our state.”

Auditory and visual learners may find this skill particularly helpful. On the Amazon Echo Show device, Alexa will ask and show the questions and answers. In addition, pictures relating to the questions are showed allowing users the opportunity to create associations while learning.

“People learn in many ways and creating a skill that offers the audio and visual aspect was a must for us,” said David Harper, Director of Vehicles. “I am very excited to hear success stories from new Kansas drivers as they use this skill to help them learn.”

The “Kansas Driver’s Practice Test” skill is available in the Amazon app store. For more information, visit https://www.ksrevenue.org/dovalexa.html.

A demonstration of the skill will be performed at the Topeka Driver’s License Office at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30 by David Harper, Director of Vehicles. The Topeka Driver’s License Office is located at 300 SW 29th St.

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Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

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State Of Kansas Launches New Business One Stop

State Of Kansas Launches New Business One Stop

The State of Kansas today announced the launch of the Kansas Business One Stop – ksbiz.kansas.gov. The new site is a joint effort by the Secretary of State’s office and several state agencies to simplify the process of starting, operating and growing a business in Kansas. Participating agencies include the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department of Labor and Kansas Department of Revenue.

“Whether you are a small mom and pop business or a billion-dollar entity, the Kansas Business One Stop was created to make it easier to start and maintain a business in Kansas,” said Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab. “Today’s announcement is the result of innovative collaboration between multiple state agencies to make government more accessible for Kansas business owners.”

The Kansas Business One Stop consolidates resources and information from several state agencies to provide new and existing businesses with one convenient website to manage their various business needs. The site provides resources on business formation, obtaining tax IDs, licenses and permits, workforce development programs, funding and incentives, small business support and initiatives that support veteran, minority and women-owned businesses.

Additional features to the website are in development and scheduled for deployment near the end of 2019. These will include a wizard feature to help individuals interested in starting a business navigate state requirements for starting and running a business and a toolkit to provide resources for starting the most common types of businesses. Among the features are the inclusion of additional state agencies and enhanced features for business owners.

For more information, visit ksbiz.kansas.gov.

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Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

© 2020 Kansas.gov - Portal Policies

Kansas Real Estate Alexa Skill Honored With A National Award

Kansas Real Estate Alexa Skill Honored With A National Award

The ARELLO® Education Certification Committee awarded the Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC) with a Communication Award for the Kansas Real Estate Alexa skill. ARELLO® brings regulators together to promote excellence in real estate regulation.

The Information Network of Kansas (INK) and the Kansas Information Consortium (KIC) partnered with the Commission to create the Kansas Real Estate Alexa skill. This voice-enabled tool uses an Amazon device to provide accurate real estate information that is easily accessible by licensees, members of the industry, educators and the public.

“The Kansas Real Estate Commission is excited to receive this award. We strive to be a leader when it comes to using new technology to communicate with licensees and consumers,” said Erik Wisner, Executive Director. “Allowing licensees to obtain information through voice-enabled digital assistants offers amazing convenience and more immediate access to information related to their real estate business.”

KREC was recognized on Sept. 20 during the Award-Winning Ideas session at the 2019 ARELLO® Annual Conference in Denver.

To learn more, visit: krec.ks.gov/alexa.

Get the latest Kansas digital government news.

Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

© 2020 Kansas.gov - Portal Policies

State Of Kansas Ranks Fifth In The Nation By The Government Experience Awards

State Of Kansas Ranks Fifth In The Nation By The Government Experience Awards

The Center for Digital Government (CDG) has announced the winners of the 2019 Government Experience Awards. The recently redesigned Kansas.gov site, the official website for the State of Kansas, was recognized with a fifth-place finish in the category of “Overall State Government Experience.” The award category recognizes the top 10 state websites in the nation, placing strong emphasis on improving the citizen experience and innovations in how citizens interact with government.

In a news release issued Sep 18, 2019, Dustin Haisler, chief innovation officer for the CDG, states:

“This year’s results are evidence that state and local government agencies are continuing to grow the sophistication of their digital experiences. The Government Experience Award winners from this year are not just leveraging innovative tools like chatbots to amplify their reach, they are also going the extra mile to build a proper foundation to support the future and ensure citizens get the right information at the right time.”

The 2019 redesign of Kansas.gov was delivered as a service by the Information Network of Kansas, Inc. (INK). The new user experience focuses heavily on providing information via search, which lessens the burden on citizens to navigate through various pages and categories to find the information they need. Other key highlights include the integration of INK’s award-winning artificial intelligence chatbot, “Agent Kay” into government services. Agent Kay, the official chatbot of the State of Kansas, provides 24/7 user support on a variety of topics, including taxes, business information, filing information, and other frequently asked questions.

“The Information Network of Kansas serves as the gateway to public information in Kansas and I am happy to see the fruits of our public-private collaboration recognized for improving efficiency and service delivery to our citizens. This recognition belongs to everyone involved in these ongoing efforts to make Kansas government more accessible and user-friendly, and I look forward to more innovations to come.” Aaron Kite, Chairman, Information Network of Kansas Board of Directors

The winners of this and other categories will be honored at an awards event Sept. 27 in Denver, Colo.

Get the latest Kansas digital government news.

Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

© 2020 Kansas.gov - Portal Policies

Kansas Real Estate Data Now Available Through Amazon’s Alexa

Kansas Real Estate Data Now Available Through Amazon’s Alexa

The Center for Digital Government (CDG) has announced the winners of the 2019 Government Experience Awards. The recently redesigned Kansas.gov site, the official website for the State of Kansas, was recognized with a fifth-place finish in the category of “Overall State Government Experience.” The award category recognizes the top 10 state websites in the nation, placing strong emphasis on improving the citizen experience and innovations in how citizens interact with government.

 In a news release issued Sep 18, 2019, Dustin Haisler, chief innovation officer for the CDG, states:

“This year’s results are evidence that state and local government agencies are continuing to grow the sophistication of their digital experiences. The Government Experience Award winners from this year are not just leveraging innovative tools like chatbots to amplify their reach, they are also going the extra mile to build a proper foundation to support the future and ensure citizens get the right information at the right time.”

The 2019 redesign of Kansas.gov was delivered as a service by the Information Network of Kansas, Inc. (INK). The new user experience focuses heavily on providing information via search, which lessens the burden on citizens to navigate through various pages and categories to find the information they need. Other key highlights include the integration of INK’s award-winning artificial intelligence chatbot, “Agent Kay” into government services. Agent Kay, the official chatbot of the State of Kansas, provides 24/7 user support on a variety of topics, including taxes, business information, filing information, and other frequently asked questions.

“The Information Network of Kansas serves as the gateway to public information in Kansas and I am happy to see the fruits of our public-private collaboration recognized for improving efficiency and service delivery to our citizens. This recognition belongs to everyone involved in these ongoing efforts to make Kansas government more accessible and user-friendly, and I look forward to more innovations to come.” Aaron Kite, Chairman, Information Network of Kansas Board of Directors

The winners of this and other categories will be honored at an awards event Sept. 27 in Denver, Colo.

Get the latest Kansas digital government news.

Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

© 2020 Kansas.gov - Portal Policies

“Kansas Nursing” Website Wins National Award

“Kansas Nursing” Website Wins National Award

The Kansas State Board of Nursing’s “Kansas Nursing” site was recently recognized as a Horizon Interactive Award “Bronze” winner in the category of government agency websites. The Horizon Interactive Awards are an international competition recognizing excellence in interactive media production.

The “Kansas Nursing” site was launched on Sep. 10, 2018, as a collaboration between the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN), the Information Network of Kansas (INK), and the Kansas Information Consortium, LLC (KIC). The site was created as part of a multimedia campaign to drive awareness of “Kansas Nursing,” KSBN’s first-in-class Alexa skill for Kansas Nursing License Verification.

KSBN are thrilled to be recognized as a Horizon Interactive Award winner amongst government website. The integrated media campaign for the “Kansas Nursing” skill has provided KSBN with an invaluable springboard to help us launch our license verification skill. KSBN’s public awareness campaign to help educate both constituents and other nursing boards on the solution benefits greatly from the interactive site and media created by KIC.

Carol Moreland, MSN, RN
Executive Administrator, KSBN

By invoking the “Kansas Nursing” skill, users can access KSBN’s License Verification database via their Amazon Dot, Echo, or Show device. The Kansas Nursing skill allows users to quickly and easily look up a license, verify the status of an existing license, or find answers to frequently asked questions.

The development and maintenance of the KSBN “Kansas Nursing” skill and website, digital advertising, and marketing materials are performed by KIC as a service of the Information Network of Kansas, Inc. (INK). Under INK’s and KIC’s public-private partnership, eGovernment services are delivered through a self-funded model, which does not utilize taxpayer funds.

Get the latest Kansas digital government news.

Contact

M – F: 8am – 5pm
Phone: Help Desk (785) 296-5059, INK ( 785) 296-2408
Toll Free: (800) 452-6727
Address: 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612

© 2020 Kansas.gov - Portal Policies