The Information Network of Arkansas Board (INA) was created by law (25-27-101 et. seq.) in 1995. The Information Network of Arkansas Board consists of 12 members made up of individuals from the Public and Private sectors.
The duties of the Information Network of Arkansas Board are:
- To develop and implement an electronic gateway system to provide electronic access to members of the public to public information and to develop, implement, and promote the use of electronic commerce and digital signature applications within the state.
- To explore ways of expanding the amount and kind of public information provided, increasing the utility and form of the public information provided, and, where appropriate, implementing such changes.
- To explore ways of improving citizen and business access to public information, and, where appropriate, implementing such changes.
- The INA shall contract with a Network Manager through a competitive bid process, to manage the INA Network.
INA contracted with the Arkansas Information Consortium (AIC) as the Network Manager. AIC is a subsidiary of the eGovernment firm NIC, Inc. AIC works exclusively for the state of Arkansas and its local municipalities to build Web sites and online services.
INA currently maintains and hosts the State of Arkansas's Web site, www.arkansas.gov, and partners with virtually all of the major offices, agencies, state associations, and several Arkansas counties and municipalities.
INA employs individuals that are highly skilled in Web site design, application development, network security, system administration, ecommerce payment processing, project management, and customer service.
The State of Arkansas does not appropriate funds for this network. Operating under a self-funded model, the network, its infrastructure, employees, office space and equipment are fully funded through transaction fees associated with a select set of commercially-valuable services available instantly online. Services that do not have a statutory fee remain free to businesses and citizens.
INA has not replaced the traditional methods of obtaining any government records or services. If any record or service is normally available for free, it can continue to be obtained for free through traditional methods of delivery.