News Release

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON D.C. 20503

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2009
Contact: OMB Communications, 202-395-7254

Data.gov to Bring Unprecedented Access to Government Information
Launch of Site Holds Promise for Greater Transparency, Accountability, Analysis

Washington, DC — The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today unveiled Data.gov – a site designed to provide unfiltered access to government data streams in machine-readable formats.

"Data.gov will open up the workings of government by making economic, health care, environmental, and other government information available on a single website, allowing the public to access raw data and transform it in innovative ways," OMB Director Peter Orszag explained.  "Data.gov is going to be a one-stop shop for free access to data generated across all federal agencies.  As we develop Data.gov, it will allow the American people to find, use, and repackage data held and generated by the government, which we hope will result in citizen feedback and new ideas."

Generally, federal data are housed in disparate sites and formats, making them hard to use and even more difficult to access.  In contrast, Data.gov has searchable catalogs, currently with access to 46 "raw" datasets and 27 information tools.  The catalog of tools links to sites that include data mining and extraction tools and widgets.  Datasets and tools are searchable by category, agency, keyword, and/or data format.  Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra said that the debut site is good first step, acknowledging that much more information is coming.

"Moving forward, we want the default assumption to be that federal information is available at Data.gov," Kundra said.  "This can be a creative platform that drives readable, machine-ready information across the government, giving the American people a greater voice in the government’s priorities and broader access to the government’s results."

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