Contents

Meet Maryland's First Business Chatbot

The newly launched, next-generation Maryland Business Express portal is now the go-to location for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to locate information and services to plan, start, manage and grow their business. The portal is the result of the collaborative efforts of nine state agencies and combines information previously spread across multiple agencies into one, easy-to-navigate site while also providing a clear outline of the steps involved in starting and managing a business.
 
The new Maryland Business Express portal features a business Chatbot designed to communicate with and deliver guidance to Marylanders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This digital assistant is the first of its kind to be used by any state government for business purposes. The chatbot is continually learning and has already answered over 2,050 questi ons asked by Maryland business owners and entrepreneurs.  
  
  "Maryland Busin ess Express will make it easier than ever to start a business, and will provide quick access to the many tools and resources that Maryland agencies have to offer to support our small business job creators," said Governor Larry Hogan when announcing the service last month. "Our administration has been committed to ensuring Maryland is open for business, and since that time, we have become one of the top states in the country for entrepreneurial business growth."
 
This new customer-centric service is a tremendous benefit to Maryland's business community and embodies Governor Larry Hogan's customer service promise to make government more accessible to its citizens.

Maryland Residential Clean Energy Grant Program Supports Renewable Energy Policy Goals
The Maryland Energy Administration is tasked with achieving the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Currently, the RPS requires that 25% of energy sold in Maryland in 2020 come from qualified renewable energy resources, with 2% coming from qualified in-state solar resources.
 
To encourage and help Maryland homeowners invest in clean energy, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) provides grants for solar photovoltaic systems, solar water heating, geothermal heating & cooling, and wind turbine systems. Maryland became the first state in the country to make the energy generated by geothermal heating and cooling (GHC) technologies eligible for the RPS as a Tier 1 renewable source under House Bill 1186. To qualify, the GHC technologies must meet ENERGY STAR standards and displace electric or non-natural gas heating and/or old and presumed inefficient air conditioning.
 
Maryland homeowners who have installed qualified clean energy systems at their homes may qualify for these grants by completing a grant application online by visiting https://egov.maryland.gov/mea/CleanEnergy/
 
Eligibility Requirements Include:
  • Grant applications must be submitted to the MEA within 12 months of installation as defined by the Terms and Conditions, found here
  • The installation property must be the primary residence of the owner of a residential property at the time of application
  • Projects must be within the eligible installation size:
    • Solar Photovoltaic: 1-20kW
    • Geothermal: 1-10 tons
    • Solar Water Heating: 10-100 sq. ft.
  • The property must not be held in an irrevocable trust

Maryland State Police Saves Man-hours with Online Station Mechanic Exam

Prior to the launch of the online Maryland State Inspection Mechanics Testing Registration program, the day-to-day management of the mechanic written exam program was arduous at best. Exams were administered on a limited basis on the third Friday of each month, requiring State Troopers to travel to each of four testing locations. Mechanics wanting to take the exam would travel to the closest location and pay with a check or money order to sit for the exam. The paper test was proctored, graded, and data entered into a spreadsheet for record keeping of pass/fail results by state police personnel.  
 
Through the Maryland State Police (MSP) inter-agency partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicles Administration (MDOT MVA), all Maryland State Inspection Mechanic exams are automated and administered by MDOT MVA clerks in the MVA Law Rooms at full service branch locations in the same manner that MDOT MVA administers driver's license written exams.
 
Inspection mechanics can register and pay for up to three exams using the   Automotive Safety Enforcement Division Online Services portal  including Admin, Class A, B, C, M, R, and T exams. Inspection mechanics are offered the flexibility to and register 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and can pay for the exam with any major credit card. Tests are offered Monday - Friday in both English and Spanish and audio form at MVA full service branch locations. Results are electronically reported back to the Maryland State Police, reducing the time for mechanics to become certified.
 
Over the past year, 880 Maryland inspection mechanics registered and payed for 2,426 exams using the online registration platform. 65 percent of those mechanics took a test and had their results recorded in the Maryland Safety Inspection System. The automated process and partnership with MDOT MVA has already saved MSP Automotive Safety Division personnel 1,617 man hours, by eliminating the in-person proctoring and manual data entry.
 
Leveraging both a public/public and a public/private partnership, the Maryland Vehicle Safety Inspection Suite of Services requires no appropriations or tax dollars. NIC Maryland is responsible for the operation of all hardware, software, network support and security related to operational expenses, valued at over $9.2 million.  
NEW ENTERPRISE SERVICE OFFERING
 
Gov2Go Pay enterprise-wide payment processing service gives customers the ability to quickly complete online transactions without entering payment details. This future ready secure service...
  • Supports subscription installment payments 
  • Can bill customers based on usage with web tools to track online activity
  • Used to pay current bills or schedule future payments
  • Eliminates the costs associated with printing invoices, postage and late payments
  • Reduces the burden of storing sensitive cardholder or business account data
  • Provides access to financial and billing reports online

     

    
           


VIEW PAST
NEWSLETTERS
NIC Maryland develops and supports digital government services without using taxpayer funds through a master contract with the State of Maryland. Maryland saves money with NIC's online applications that pay for themselves through a proven funding model. 
Janet Grard 
General Manager

Andrea Greer
DoIT Contract Administrator
[email protected]