QScend to Connecticut Municipalities: 'Don't Shut Down Your Website'

E-Government Expert Offers Special Deal in Light of New State Law; QContent™ Software Makes it Easy to Post Minutes in Minutes

Waterbury, CT (PRWEB) October 22, 2008 -- No tool is more important for true democracy and open government than the Internet. The posting of documents on a municipal website, says Keith LeBeau, President of QScend Technologies, Inc., is crucial to bringing citizens closer to, and engaging them more in, local government.

That is why, in light of a new Connecticut State Law requiring the posting of the votes of any public agency within 48 hours and the minutes of any public meeting with seven days, QScend is offering municipalities a special deal to help make it easier for them to post important documents to their websites.

"Our message to municipalities is 'Don't shut down your websites'," said LeBeau. "That is not the answer. Technology makes the democratic process stronger and can only serve to increase the support of elected officials and public agencies."

For a limited time, QScend is offering Connecticut municipalities a standard website package for at a special discount. The package includes:

> A newly-redesigned website featuring a template from the QScend gallery

> QContent, QScend's content management system, which allows non-technical staff to update a website easily and efficiently

> RSS-capable content feeds for scheduled posting of news, events, and more

> GeoContent for mapping points of interest and landmarks

> 16 hours of design services and 100 pages of migration

> Specific training on how to set-up and post required documents

With QContent, municipal staff can post new information themselves, rather than waiting for a services company to do the posting for them.

"Minutes can be posted in minutes, literally," said LeBeau. "Once the voting record documents and the meeting minutes are ready, they can be posted without a time lag. That's important with the requirement of the new state law."

Government officials who would like to discuss options other than shutting down their municipal websites, and preview the possibilities, should call QScend at 203-757-6000 or email sales@qscend.com.

"What municipalities also have to realize is that it's not right for them to take those sites down and penalize their citizens who have come to expect the availability of information 24/7," said LeBeau. "That doesn't increase trust and faith in local government. But being proactive and searching for a solution that helps make the organization more effective and efficient does."

About QScend Technologies, Inc.:
QScend Technologies (www.qscend.com) is an industry leader in Web-based software solutions and services for municipalities. More than 2,200 QScend product users access the company's series of "Q" products for a variety of citizen service related functions, including website content management, electronic newsletter distribution, citizen service request management, and 311 call center functionality.

Located in Waterbury, Connecticut, QScend Technologies was the first company to relocate into the city's Information Technology Zone. The company also provides custom website design, application hosting, and e-mail solutions for its customers.

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