November 11, 2004

Domain names

Deployed last week by Jim Watson, Ontario's consumer and business services minister, the new informational website offers Ontarians “one-stop access” to various government services and related data through a channel of their choice – in person, online or using the phone system.

Ontarians, said Watson, “can change their address on their driver's licence, register a business name, and plan an Ontario holiday all in one place."

Watson and Minister of Culture Madeleine Meilleur, who demonstrated ServiceOntario at the Toronto Reference Library, described the new portal as “the new face of government service delivery.”

Simplicity, convergence and ease of use are the hallmarks of the new Web site.

By centralizing everything in one location, ServiceOntario eliminates the need to visit 200 Web sites, 70 call centres and over 1,500 counters to access information from three levels of government.

All it will take is a click – perhaps a few clicks – of the mouse to access relevant information and services.

And it gets even better. "For those who don't have Internet access at home, public libraries offer free access. This reinforces their role as important neighbourhood hubs, helping to build strong and healthy communities," said Meilleur.

Here’s what individuals and businesses can currently access on ServiceOntario:

-- Links to three new Ontario government Web sites: the Children's Information Portal, the Workplace Gateway, and the Women's Information Gateway;

-- The ability to change or update the address on one’s health card, driver's licence and outdoors card;

-- A treasure trove of information and resources for Ontarians during important life events, such as retirement or having a baby;

-- Business tutorials on topics like How to Run a Construction Business, How to Start and Run a Tourism Business;

-- Capabilities for registering or changing a business name online;

-- More than 400 government forms classified under easy to understand topics and categories.

ServiceOntario can be accessed at www.serviceontario.ca.

Source: IT World Canada