State allocates $7.7 million for Web site development

BOSTON — The state has invested $7.7 million for development of the first functions
on its Web portal. Plans call for the contracting for development of the portal
at a cost of about $93 million over the next six years. IBM, Genuity and EDS are
reported by the Boston Globe to have expressed interest in use of the Web site.
The portal is expected eventually to supplant an existing state Home Page. The
new allocation will be used to offer online services such as teacher certifications
and hunting licenses. A consultant has predicted that development of the portal
could save the state about $250 million within six years, minus the $93 construction
costs.