Mobile applications in local government

The study explores the state of penetration and usage of municipal smartphone applications in Israel - an internet-savvy country. We explore the extent of penetration of the applications, analyse the profiles of adopting and non-adopting municipalities, classify the apps' common features, and analyse the motivations for developing them, and perceived challenges and drawbacks of using them. The findings demonstrate that the adoption rate of municipal apps in Israel is 42.7%, in the advanced stage of the new technology adoption curve. Significant correlations were found between the size of a municipality, its geographical location, residents' education, socio-economic status, and the adoption of mobile applications by the municipality.