This past year was an exciting one for fans of a more digital, transparent and efficient government. As we’ve discussed on Gov Online, federal, state and local governments are all embracing Web-based applications, cloud services and other advanced technologies that are delivering significant benefits.

Here is just a small sample of recent government online initiatives, and the benefits that they’ve brought to the agencies and their constituents:

· Online systems that are enabling federal agencies to increase information and data sharing are helping to fight fraud and save the government money.

· Analytics software run on data being shared between law enforcement agencies is helping to make a historically reactive criminal justice system more proactive and citizens safer.

· Virtual data centers are helping to eliminate the ever-increasing flow of data and information entering agencies without forcing the government to assume additional risk and purchase extraneous hardware.

· Online registries are helping citizens prepare for emergency medical situations and online systems are even helping constituents access government records and data.

And with the calendar flipping to 2012, the movement of systems and applications online is not expected to slow or stop. In fact, there are many trends and initiatives that we’re seeing that will make the movement online mission-critical in 2012.

Tablet computers and other mobile devices, as well as continued calls for telework and workplace flexibility, will require the mountains of paper records and data at agencies to be digitized and made available online. Mandates to cut costs, identify wasteful spending and fight fraud will continue to drive a need for information sharing and analysis. Federal data center consolidation initiatives and mandates to share services will continue to drive agencies to look to cloud-based services.

Overall, it’s safe to say that the future of government, in 2012 and beyond, is online. The end result can only be a more effective and efficient government moving forward.

We at Edaptive Systems and the Gov Online blog have been happy and honored to cover the movement of the government online in 2011. To our readers, the IT decision makers in government and those working for a better government through technology, we want to thank you for reading and wish you a happy holiday season. We look forward to following the government’s steady march towards the future with you in 2012.