The goal of this chapter is to compare the adoption of Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) by government
agencies in Canada and the United States and to explore their respective impact on e-government. Governments at all levels
recognize the need to develop and enhance multimedia and multichannel communication strategies to communicate with citizens
and provide services as well as enable interaction among employees and to cross agencies’ boundaries. Governments have discovered
that Web 2.0 communication channels can have an unexpected reach, and occupy a new and quite possibly an essential space in
electronic communications. Government agencies, needing to or requiring to communicate with the public, are finding that Web
2.0 technologies are an effective, efficient, timely, and valuable way to get the word out. This chapter shows that Web 2.0
use is creating entirely new online communities that defy traditional communication reach and organizational boundaries. Web
2.0 ICT can enable collaborative work with external stakeholders as well as within and among agencies. By examining specific
examples of Web 2.0 use in Canadian and US governments, analyzing the insights gained, and reflecting on observations and
recommendations, both public administrators and IT professionals are provided with a framework to evaluate the benefits and
challenges of adopting these new ICT and applications. The fundamental questions are the following: What is Web 2.0? How have
government agencies in Canada and the United States adopted these technologies to encourage interaction and collaborative
work?