Yesterday, the U.S. government started a new web-based program that lets immigration applicants check the status of their cases through text messages and emails. This new program is another way to minimize red tape through technological innovation, according to administration officials. The government is also currently developing a new way for individuals in the U.S. to receive emergency info from the government, along with consumer product recalls and other important alerts, through electronic means. The new immigration tracking method and the proposed emergency alert system are both part of a method to fundamentally change the way the government communicates with those residing in the U.S.

These efforts are “fundamentally changing the default of the public sector,” said Vivek Kundra, the government’s Chief Information Officer. “You’re seeing a result of a transparent and open government the president talked about.”

The new immigration alert system will, among other things, remind applicants if portions of their application are not complete (e.g., digital fingerprints not recorded successfully). Instead of applicants having to contact the government for information, this information will now be outbound through the new e-alert system.