Mobile government, sometimes referred to as mGovernment, is the extension of eGovernment to mobile platforms, as well as the strategic use of government services and applications which are only possible using cellular/mobile telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless internet infrastructure.
Proponents of mGovernment argue it can help make public information and government services available "anytime, anywhere" and that the ubiquity of these devices mandates their employment in government functions. An example of such beneficial use of mobile technologies would be the sending of a mass alert to registered citizens via short message service, or SMS, in the event of an emergency.
To quote mGovernment theorist and proponent Ibrahim Kuchshu, "As e-business evolves towards m-business, eGovernment seems to follow the trend with a few but significant mobile government (mGovernment) applications."
Benefits of mGovernment
- added convenience and flexibility
- ability to reach a larger number of people through mobile devices than would be possible using wired internet only
Issues with mGovernment
- wireless and mobile networks and related infrastructure, as well as software, must be developed
- to increase citizen participation and provide citizen-oriented services, governments need to offer easy access to mGovernment information in alternative forms
- mobile phone numbers and mobile devices are relatively easily hacked and wireless networks are vulnerable because they use public airwaves to send signals
- many countries have not yet adopted legislation for data and information practices that spell out the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of the data holders (government)
References
External links
- http://www.mgovworld.org - Knowldge portal and repository on mobile government developments. The portal is jointly managed by practitioners and stakeholders from India , Europe and USA
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