iPhone Apps and Big Government

On April 6th, the state of Utah released two free apps for the iPhone. The information these two apps provide is definitely useful and valuable and Utah's government is certainly leveraging current technology to make their information more readily available to the people. Both apps are well-designed and easy to use. So, what's not to like, right?

However, these apps beg the question: should it be done?



The first app effectively puts the contact information of all the Beehive state's agencies and services along with current news about it in a quick reference app. The second app allows you to check the license status of any professional in the state that requires a state license.

In today's brutal economy, some have questioned whether it's an appropriate use of government funds to develop iPhone apps for the relatively affluent masses. Shouldn't the funding that was spent on the app development be channeled into areas to help those who are suffering the most in this economy?

Let's consider these points. The typical iPhone user is:

• tech-savvy


• under 30 years old (possibly the demographic hit hardest by layoffs?)


• a 4-year degree college-grad (fresh from college and no where to ply their education?)


• using the email feature the most


• browsing the Internet at least once a day

The argument that the iPhone is geared toward the well-heeled has been hashed over repeatedly despite numerous examples and studies that show the iPhone has begun to replace numerous other expensive elements such as a phone land line, Internet access via a computer, MP3 player, paid long distance calls and PDAs to name just a few.

Yes, the upfront cost of the iPhone is steeper than the run-of-the-mill freebie you can get with a new 2-year cell phone contract but when you consider the other pieces of the service puzzle contained in the iPhone and then add that up against what you're paying now, it's a down right bargain. And this doesn't take into account the plethora of apps available to help the user shop smarter, find a job, cut costs, maintain a budget and track finances.

The iPhone is also the best-selling smartphone in the US, outdoing numerous BlackBerry phones as well as the Google-branded, Android-powered T-Mobile G1. The "exclusivity" ploy is also a worn-out maneuver.

And lastly, can you fault any government entity that is spending a little cash (and developing an iPhone app is a pretty inexpensive strategy) to develop a product that will deliver a positive return on investment in a few months as well as improve and expand service and accessibility to the people that it serves? I fail to see the downside.

For more information on apps, see the iPhone app review site. For more tech news, stick with the blog:

Customer Survey: Apple is Mediocre, HP and Dell are Horrible

HTC Magic Coming Out May 5, Free with Plan

Hulu App Coming to Your iPhone

Kyocera Flexible OLED Phone Offers Glimpse of Mobile Future

Microsoft to Launch Windows Mobile 6.5 on May 11