BasicGov / BLOG

Vancouver and Whistler are transforming into an Olympic host and the impact of this event are emerging everywhere.

Each day there are new signs, mass transit schedule changes, road closures, route changes, new pavilions and new structures. Our building receives at least 2 or 3 notifications per week of such changes in our immediate area as we are only 2 blocks away from the main media center at the new Vancouver Convention Center. Soon there will be 5000 athletes and hundreds of thousands of new people cramming into the streets, and undoubtedly there will be protests. It is definitely a challenge and not everything will go according to plan.

On the other hand, there are many positive benefits of this event to our city. Our downtown entertainment center has been completely revitalized and there is an influx of art, sculptures and music. There are new entertainment venues where 1000’s of people will be able to watch events live on huge outdoor screens and in theatres. Next to the waters in False Creek, near the Olympic Oval in Richmond, up in Whistler, and in many other areas there will be free live music all day and night from musicians of all types, from all over, for all the people.

For BasicGov employees, we sit here and think about what happened behind the scenes. All of the above required the involvement of political will and city staff to make it happen. Imagine how many building permit and license applications plus scheduled building inspections the City had this year. Sure the Vancouver Olympic Committee was responsible for a majority of the planning, but in the end it was someone in the city that had to assess the impacts of a road closure, put up the new signs, and approve new venues, new bars, and allow the Olympic rings to sit on a barge in the water.

All we are doing now is hoping for colder weather and bit of snow.

Mike

The Year of the Cloud and An Overnight Success that Took Three Years

2009 will probably go down as the year when cloud computing became part of everyday jargon. It was the year when sedate business leaders spoke knowingly of the “utility model” computing. It was the year when the United States CIO revealed cloud computing as the enabling technology for better, more efficient, more open government. It was the year when the City of Los Angeles moved key parts of its day-to-day operations onto “The Cloud”.

And 2009 was the year when Larry Ellison of Oracle brought us down to earth by pointing out that “The Cloud” is just computers – chips and hardware and software – connected to a network.

But what a great year for IT and local government! 2009 was the year that city and county managers discovered they could run community development without spending a fortune on enterprise software. 2009 was the year that setting up servers for municipal IT made as much sense as using “cash for clunkers” to buy a Hummer. And 2009 was the year when city managers could reasonably expect that new software would be running weeks not years.

But, while cloud computing was a buzzword of 2009, we had started work on a cloud-based solution way back in 2006. Long before the “utility computing model” we took our experience delivering enterprise solutions for larger cities and built a cloud-based solution for cost conscious local governments.

But 2009 was the first year that many heard from us because 2009 was the first year we actively marketed BasicGov to local governments. Now, three years after we launched into the cloud, BasicGov has four modules: Planning, Permits and Inspections, Code Enforcement and Citizen Portal. And three years after we decided there had to be a better way to streamline local government, 31 cities and counties use BasicGov to serve thousands of citizens.

Three years is hardly overnight but BasicGov is tried, tested, installed and used everyday by cities across the country. Thanks to BasicGov, “The Cloud” is already home to city managers, building inspectors, planners, code enforcement officers and municipal staff. So, if you think cloud computing is the latest trend, check with your local city hall – it might just be part of their everyday business!

Happy New Year,

David Roberts, BasicGov President & CEO