The city of Santa Monica expands its reach to citizens through mGovernance application

February 7, 2011. The new mobile government application under the initiative "Government on the Go" is developed on Android platform and puts users of the latest smartphone directly in touch with government offices, letting them know exactly what's going on throughout the city.

“Santa Monica is known to be a leader in the use of technology for providing information and services to the public,” said Chief Information Officer Jory Wolf. “The mobile app is the latest example of the city’s use of technology to connect government with the community and improve customer service,” Wolf said. With the new app, citizens who identify a problem like a pothole or vandalism can immediately send a report to city officials.

Using the GPS function of the phone, Android users can let city officials know the exact location of the problem and they can also send a picture of it with their phones' cameras. The information is automatically relayed to the right city office, and the caller may get status reports in return. It's a faster way to let the city know what's happening and respond to neighborhood problems, and the efficient app saves the city money.

Designed by Government Outreach, the app has been available for the iPhone for a year and city officials regard it as a succes. Together, the iPhone and Android apps are enhancements to the city’s citizen relationship management (CRM) solution called “Go Santa Monica,” a program designed to put citizens in touch with their government using the latest technology. Santa Monica is one of several municipal governments which use GORequest software. Others include Huntington Beach, Culver City and San Bernardino.

The app is available for the iPhone at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gorequest/id351223716?mt=8 and

for the Android at http://market.android.com/search?q=gorequest