What is the Future for Government Services?

By Derek Neal, Manager for National Government Solutions

After many years of supporting our valued Department of Defense customers, such as the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, the U.S. Intelligence Community and various Commercial/Private Sector companies like Booz Allen Hamilton and Computer Sciences Corp., I have seen a wide spectrum of where this ” digital transformation” paradigm and vision is heading. Commercial giants like Nike and Under Armour understand the value of providing personalized experiences to their consumers, whether that is based on location, previous search history, prior purchases, or a number of other different attributes.

A key factor contributing to this new way of delivering content and services stems from early 2014 when internet usage on mobile devices exceeded that of PC usage. This explosion of mobile devices has forever changed what, when, where, and how we consume content. In a recent study conducted by Pew Research Center in October 2015, it was found that 68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35% in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45% among adults. Smartphone ownership is nearing at a saturation point with some groups: 86% of those ages 18-29 have a smartphone, as do 83% of those ages 30-49 and 87% of those living in households earning $75,000 and up annually.

In addition to the sky-rocketing growth of mobile devices, internet is more widely available and cost effective. Furthermore, more devices are being created with WiFi functionality and built-in sensors, creating this immediate reality of the ” Internet of Things” (IoT), allowing for virtually endless opportunities and connections to take place. There are a number of “smart cities” across the country that have applied the IoT to help reduce waste and improve efficiencies for such things as energy and transportation networks. But why stop there? Why shouldn’t governments be able to leverage this same concept to (1) improve the citizen/employee interaction and communication, (2) increase efficiencies through a personalized, digital transformation, and (3) significantly decrease cost and overhead spend through a lighter, more streamlined infrastructure, that requires less IT involvement, decreases development and support and helps expedite content deployment and agility.

With all the digital touch points an individual accesses today, there should be no need for them to search for relevant content that directly correlates with their interests … that content should find them. Adobe consistently uses this notion of “personalizing and targeting content to our customers, down to the last millisecond.” We, here at Adobe, believe that this is where, not only the Commercial Sector is heading and expanding upon, but the Government Sector as well. As a resident of Loudoun County, VA, I should be able to access my State or Local government website, and based on a set of historical attributes/data that the agency has captured from me, as well as my geolocation, I should immediately be provided with specific government services and content, that is relevant to my explicit “profile”.

Today, 76% of the Fortune 50 and two-thirds of the Fortune 500 use Adobe’s Marketing Cloud technology to deliver, personalize, and optimize their digital experience. Even though many commercial companies like Adobe, Nike, Walmart, Apple, and Home Depot have been using the Adobe Marketing Cloud to drive personalized, relevant content to their consumers, we have also seen an immense explosion of interest from Federal, DoD and now State & Local governments wanting to do the same thing!

To give you a better sense of what I mean, take a look at the below customer spotlight story on how Citrix is using Adobe’s technology to personalize, connect and engage employees, via their intranet, by focusing on the needs of the individual employee rather than the overall business unit. Adobe is also engaged with a number of government agencies, across DoD, Federal Civilian and State & Local, who are leveraging the power of the Adobe Marketing Cloud to deliver more valuable and relevant, digital experiences.

https://wwwimages2.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/customer-success/pdfs/citrix-case-study.pdf