Digital Communities Features

County's Radio Show Gets Public's Attention

February 15, 2012 - The Richland County, S.C., government's weekly drive-time radio show demonstrated the power of old-school media.

Maricopa County, Ariz., Turns on ‘Spigit’ for Innovative Ideas

February 9, 2012 - The county is one of the largest governments in the U.S. to try the idea generation platform.

Oakland County, Mich., Taking Shared Services National

February 8, 2012 - The county is scaling up with the National Association of Counties to offer subscriptions for hosted applications to localities nationwide.

At Issue: Totally Mobile — Are We There Yet?

February 6, 2012 - The Sacramento, Calif., City Clerk’s Office is pushing the envelope on mobile devices to keep pace with the digital world.

5 Benefits of Vermont’s Smart Grid

February 4, 2012 - Industry Op-Ed: Vermont is teaming with IBM on a statewide smart grid the participants believe is unique in the U.S.

Raleigh, N.C., Drives Openness From All Angles

February 1, 2012 - Open data and open source software could make Raleigh open for more business.

Are iOS and Android Devices Good Enough for Government Work?

January 30, 2012 - There are real concerns about the suitability of the new generation of consumer devices for front-line government use.

Getting the Most Out of Foursquare

January 25, 2012 - Minneapolis officials want to align users’ check-in locations with the delivery of e-government information.

Vermont's Digital Development Starts on the Front Porch

January 23, 2012 - “When I go to town meeting it makes me more tolerant of different viewpoints and more appreciative of how difficult it is to govern. It makes us better ‘small d’ democrats.

Can Permitting Software Create Jobs?

January 18, 2012 - West Valley City, Utah, hopes that making permitting faster will help attract higher-paying industries.

The Cloud Builders: City and County of El Paso, Texas

January 16, 2012 - The city and county of El Paso transitions to a shared cloud with the help of some new approaches to IT.

Madison County, Texas, to Put Digital Eye to the Sky

January 11, 2012 - Officials plan to install a weather tracking system to provide real-time updates to the county’s Emergency Operations Center and the public. Neighboring community North Zulch is already a step ahead.

The Cloud Builders: Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, Mich.

January 9, 2012 - Ann Arbor, Mich., CIO Dan Rainey details the many benefits the city and Washtenaw County have seen from sharing data centers and systems.

Cascade County, Mont., Saves With Phone ‘Family Plan’

January 5, 2012 - County copes with cellphone costs by lumping departments’ minutes into one shared plan.

Smart-Grid Security Will Force New Ways of Thinking

January 4, 2012 - We can no longer look security solutions of the past when trying to secure the enormous amount of data that will flow through the smart grid. Old methods are too complex and too slow.

Can Cities Solve the Energy Conservation Penalty?

January 2, 2012 - As the smart grid and other technologies help customers reduce their consumption, cities will be hard-pressed to avoid rate hikes when their revenue decreases.

The Community Information Network in the Facebook Era

December 19, 2011 - St. Louis hopes to redefine neighborhood engagement within the changed world created by social media.

Maui Catches a Clean Energy Wave

December 14, 2011 - Supporting local agriculture and biofuels isn’t only a green initiative on the islands. It could help avert a disaster.

At Issue: Has the Citywide Wireless Train Left the Station?

December 12, 2011 - “I think if you’re going to go into a system like this, you’ve got to focus on government services, because that’s the only place you’re going to get payback.”