Obama Requires Federal Agencies to Make Key Government Services Available as Apps

Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The Obama administration said once again today that technology is high on its priority list. It said it is launching a new initiative that aims to make government services more available to consumers through mobile apps.

The President has ordered each major Federal agency - the Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, etc. -  to make key government services, ones "the American people depend on," available as mobile apps within the next year.

"Americans deserve a government that works for them anytime, anywhere, and on any device," President Obama said in a statement. "By making important services accessible from your phone and sharing government data with entrepreneurs, we are giving hard-working families and business tools that will help them succeed."

The administration is also working to make large amounts of government data more accessible to developers so they can "innovate new services and mobile applications," the administration said in a press release.

You can view the full memo sent from the President to the heads of executive departments and agencies here.