With GOV.UK, British Government Redefines the Online Government Platform

The British Government has launched a beta of its GOV.UK platform, testing a single domain for that could be used throughout government. The new single government domain will eventually replace Directgov, the UK government portal which launched back in 2004. GOV.UK is aimed squarely as delivering faster digital services to citizens through a much improved user interface at decreased cost.

Unfortunately, far too often .gov websites cost millions and don't deliver as needed. GOV.UK is open source, mobile-friendly, platform agnostic, uses HTML5, scalable, hosted in the cloud and open for feedback. Those criteria collectively embody the default for how government should approach their online efforts in the 21st century.

“Digital public services should be easy to find and simple to use - they must also be cost effective and SME-friendly," said Francis Maude, the British Minister for the Cabinet Office, in a prepared statement. "The beta release of a single domain takes us one step closer to this goal."...