[Arkansas's approach may prove one of the most popular business models for funding and operating government portals today, but it is not a sustainable option, says Robert Atkinson, director of the technology and new economy project at the Progressive Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization with the mission of advancing the government's agenda for the information economy.] Governments that aren't willing to pay any money into [electronic services] can get up and running and put some applications online, ... Most jurisdictions in this country don't have the expertise to do this [in-house]. The risk of the outsourcing model is that they're getting the revenue from the users. Ultimately, I don't think the consumer is going to be paying for this. You don't pay now when you go to look at a deed.

Robert Atkinson