"eGovernment solutions provide communities access to information about government services. Citizens can go on-line and pay taxes, look up deeds, renew their driver's licenses, file complaints and more. In my research of government technology, I have found that eGovernment has created demand for application development.
"Neil Aggarwal of JAMM Consulting sees increased demand for eGovernment solutions. 'We're beginning to receive unsolicited requests for local government applications,' he tells Linux Journal. 'Unfortunately, the RFPs lack the kind of information needed to respond appropriately. People writing the requests for proposals seem unable to articulate adequately what they need.'
"JAMM Consulting writes open-source software applications with an emphasis on quality development. Neil refuses to enter an engagement without defining the requirements and specifications before writing a single line of code. He recognizes the need to educate government procurement personnel about his model.
"'Delivering an interactive solution will cost less and provide more features if done correctly,' he acknowledges. 'I see RFPs and realize that someone will offer an inferior product with a lower price, and the agency will never get what they want in the time they want it. They'll also blow the budget.' He adds, 'beware of the bargain...'"
