ABSTRACT
After initial steps made in the 1990s, experimenting with electronic signatures and creating portals with applications for citizens and enterprises, the perception of e-government in Germany has changed considerably. E-government today means modernising the public sector and developing new forms of public service delivery. To achieve this goal, we need to exploit the technical potential of ICT and consider new organisational forms within public administrations. New ‘virtual’ administrations are imaginable if the potential of ICT is realised. The following text will describe the development of e-government in Germany and the current status of public online services. Finally, it will give an impression of the potential and difficulties of using ICT for a transformation of the public sector.
