DCCA Wins International Award for ‘AlertMe’ Services

The “AlertMe” service of the Hawai’i State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Business Registration Division won the office an International Association of Commercial Administrators Merit Award.

Last month, the DCCA’s BREG was presented with the award at the 38^th Annual IACA conference, held in Georgia. At the conference, a panel of experts reviewed each of the submissions and gave out scores based on effectiveness, originality, significance, transferability and lessons learned.

In December 2015, the BREG launched its “AlertMe” service. MyBusiness Alerts and MyBusiness Reminders are offered within the service, both of which are mobile-friendly notification services. Customers, through the use of AlertMe, can monitor and manage their businesses virtually at a low cost and high efficiency. Through e-mail and text messages, businesses can be altered when someone makes a chance to a company’s official state business registration record.

“I’d like to commend the hardworking staff in our Business Registration Division for this well-deserved award,” said DCCA Director Catherine Awakuni Colón. “The system was designed as a direct response to the needs of our customers.”

The idea and creation of the “AlertMe” services was spearheaded by the desire to address customer needs and demands. According to BREG, its staff has reported an increase in notification requests for a number of reasons including: urgent business status, watching the business, identity theft, and internal dispute. Rather than BREG’s previous once a day alert of changes, the division is now capable of notifying business through text and e-mail as changes occur.

“We are constantly striving to make business registration in Hawai’i quick and simple,” said Securities Commissioner Ty Nohara, who heads the BREG. “This award is a reflection of our commitment to the growing needs of our customers and our goal to make doing business in Hawai’i easier for everyone.”

Text message notifications offered through the “AlertMe” notification service are among the few government services in the nation to offer services in that particular form.