Innovative Partnership Enhances Communications and Customer Service

Company Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- (Business Wire)

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that it is expanding its communications channels and services to include Amazon Echo. Through an innovative partnership with NIC Maryland, the department will now offer the Maryland Fishing Report, which provides anglers with the latest fishing hotspots, catch of the week, water and weather conditions and more, as an Alexa Skill.

Anglers can use the new Skill on a desired Amazon device by simply saying ‘Alexa, open Maryland Fishing Report.’ Then they can choose to hear the entire fishing report or information for specific areas or regions, including the upper, middle or lower Chesapeake Bay, freshwater fishing or Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays. The skill aggregates existing department content, providing an enhanced user experience.

“I am very proud that we are expanding our communications services to include smart speaker technology,” said Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “The new Alexa Skill is testament to our ability to keep pace with both technological change and customer preferences.

“Be in the know before you go with the Maryland Fishing Report! Get expert fishing advice and tips right from the source and increase your chances for success.”

The Maryland Fishing Report has been a mainstay of the department’s mobile app, news page and website. It is consistently ranked among the top three most visited department webpages. It is authored every Wednesday during the traditional fishing seasons. Paired with the department’s mobile app, the new skill makes a perfect fishing companion for a great day on the bay or other waterway.

“The department continues to be a technological evangelist, innovator and pioneer, utilizing various communications and marketing tools, including a comprehensive email service, mobile app and now Amazon Alexa, to connect and engage with our customers,” said Belton. “I look forward to incorporating this technology in more of our services in the near future.”

The Alexa Skill was developed for the state of Maryland at no cost by NIC Maryland, through a statewide, self-funded digital government master services agreement with the Department of Information Technology.

About NIC Maryland

NIC Maryland builds, operates, maintains, and markets the official website of the state of Maryland, www.maryland.gov and its digital government services. NIC Maryland is a collaborative public/private partnership managed by the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) and NIC Maryland. NIC Maryland helps Maryland state and local government entities web-enable their services and operates without tax funds through a self-funded digital government services contract. NIC Maryland has developed dozens of digital government products and services for the state of Maryland since the contract was awarded in August 2011.

About NIC

NIC Inc. (Nasdaq: EGOV) is the nation's premier provider of innovative digital government solutions and secure payment processing, which help make government interactions more accessible for everyone through technology. The family of NIC companies has developed a library of more than 13,000 digital government services for more than 6,000 federal, state, and local government agencies. Among these solutions is the ground-breaking personal assistant for government, Gov2Go, delivering citizens personalized reminders and a single platform for all government interactions. More information is available at www.egov.com.

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Contacts:

Department of Natural Resources
Stephen Schatz, 410-260-8004
Director, Office of Communications & Marketing
stephen.schatz@maryland.gov

Source: NIC Maryland