Communications of the ACM
Visiting the White House, 'Anytime, Anywhere, and on Any Device'
Ninety-nine percent of the revamped WhiteHouse.gov website is available to mobile users.
Credit: The White House
The White House announced some big changes Tuesday (September 4) to the way the public connects with the White House. More Americans rely on tablets and smart phones for news and information than ever before and these trends are reflected at WhiteHouse.gov. Over the past two years the number of mobile visits to the site has tripled, reaching 15.17% of total traffic. In order to meet this growing demand, the entire White House mobile program has been relaunched, making it even easier to see what's going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
First, the mobile version of WhiteHouse.gov has been revamped, giving it a new look and making more than 99% of the site available to mobile users. New versions of the White House apps for the iPhone and for Android devices have also been released, rebuilt from the ground up and adding several new features. For the first time, these apps are also fully compatible with the iPad and Android tablets.
Some of the apps' features include:
- Live video streams of White House events
- Access to WhiteHouse.gov's incomparable photo and video archives
- High resolution photos using iPad's Retina display
- The latest news from the White House blog and press Briefing Room
- Tools to search WhiteHouse.gov, save your favorite items, and share them via Facebook and Twitter
- Notifications of breaking news and opportunities to take action
Other changes will affect mobile developers: the White House has released the source code for both White House mobile apps on GitHub. Now anyone, from civic hackers and local organizations to federal agencies, can freely download these apps, make changes, and use them for their own projects.
WhiteHouse.gov has been an important part of President Obama's effort to open the White House up to the American people over the past three years, providing an unprecedented level of access to live events at the White House, insight into administration initiatives, and new ways to communicate with the President and other policy makers. This past spring, when he announced his initiative requiring that key government services be made available via mobile devices within 12 months, President Obama noted that, "Americans deserve a government that works for them anytime, anywhere, and on any device." As WhiteHouse.gov helps the President meet his own commitment to open up the People's House, mobile will play an increasingly important role. The apps and mobile site will continue to be updated in the days and months ahead. Those with ideas to share are encouraged to drop a line or tweet @WHWeb.
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