Ontario, California has launched a new city website. Accessed at
www.ci.ontario.ca.us, the redesigned site provides visitors with a host of online services, informative tools, and interactive Web 2.0 features.
The Mayor and City Council in Ontario have long been committed to integrating enhanced technologies to improve efficiency and provide the best experience for businesses and residents without taxing City fiscal resources.
According to Mayor Paul S. Leon, “Ontario is always looking at ways to improve service delivery, especially in the area of business attraction. Since the City website serves as our first opportunity to draw in business from around the world, we were looking to implement a cost-effective website solution that results in a better experience for our business and residential community. We found the answer with the Vision CMS™.”
The new website also comes as a big relief to the City’s IT Operations Manager Colin Fernandes, as the site management software has shifted from an antiquated platform to a versatile
content management system built specifically for government websites.
The City posted their RFP with the intent to encourage a variety of website vendors to bid. “We reviewed a number of different proposals – everything from open source to enterprise CMS. Our cost/value analysis proved Vision Internet’s government content management system to be the best and most economical solution for our project,” said Fernandes.
Fernandes goes on to say that the City was surprised to see the large costs associated with open source solutions. “Once the implementation charges, mandatory service contracts, and multiple website fees were tacked on, the open source total cost was a far cry from our idea of a free software solution.”
Managing Ontario’s websites using a content management system will save the City valuable time and precious funds in the long run. Here’s how:
• Open access to the CMS source code allows the City’s in-house technical team to build additional sites without depending on the vendor.
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Advanced features of the CMS provide a steady flow of information and interactive opportunities for engagement with citizens. These online tools simplify and streamline the work surrounding many services handled by city staff members.
• The vendor’s technical expertise and flexible CMS provided a low-cost customized solution to maintaining the City’s secure hosting needs.
• The vendor provided flexible technical support options. To best utilize the expertise of their in-house IT department, the City opted for a cost effective as-needed basis instead of an annual service contract.
“We were prepared for a project of this size to put added strain on our technical team; however, that just wasn’t the case,” noted Fernandes. “The integration of the CMS has been seamless. Vision Internet’s project manager has a strong background in the actual development of this software and was able to address all technical questions on the spot.”
The user-friendly interface of the CMS is as familiar to users as a web browser, making the transition intuitively easy for City staff members. On-site training of the CMS’s functionality was also provided to the City as part of the contract.
The launch of this website is only the beginning for the City’s collaborative work with Santa Monica-based
Vision Internet. Development of a City intranet and Ontario Convention Center website are already underway. To learn more about the Ontario project, please
click here.
About Vision Internet:
Vision Internet is the leader in government website development with over 400 clients across the US and Canada. For over 16 years, Vision Internet has been creating industry-defining websites built on leading technology including the government content management system, the Vision CMS™. Widely recognized as the government website experts, the company has earned hundreds of prestigious industry awards for its unique websites.