BasicGov / BLOG

Salesforce announced today a new AppExchange for Government that provides a central cloud app marketplace where government agencies can drive their social transformations and reduce costs by quickly identifying applications to meet their needs.  AppExchange for Government is a one-stop shop for everything from help desks and asset management, to program and project management, to constituent relations and more. Launching with more than 60 apps selected specifically for government and public sector agencies, AppExchange for Government includes apps like:

• BasicGov: BasicGov is a reliable, secure application built on Force.com that allows cities, counties, state governments and government agencies to streamline permitting and inspections, code enforcement, planning, licensing and citizen access.
  [click to BasicGov in AppExchange for Government]
• DocuSign: DocuSign is a leading eSignature application built on Force.com that helps organizations streamline workflows to accelerate transactions, reduce costs, and delight constituents with the fastest way to send, sign, track, and store documents in the cloud.
• SchoolForce: SchoolForce includes essential Student Information System (SIS) modules such as attendance, behavior, homework, student records and grade book, as well as collaboration and document management – all of which can all be shared with parents and students via a Web portal. SchoolForce powers data driven improvements in student outcomes and represents a significant advancement in the measurement of K-12 student, teacher and school performance by tapping the power of cloud technologies and advanced analytics.

As quoted by Dan Burton, the vice president of global public policy at Salesforce –in TechTarget article …

Government Cloud would allow, for instance, the mayor of a city to interact in a social network with citizens, Burton said. Or, for example, a municipal employee could answer tweets asking questions about a construction project, by posting the building permit as a response with an app called BasicGov.

More related articles:

• http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/salesforce-moves-into-the-government-cloud-and-social/
• http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/Salesforcecom-Reaches-for-Bigger-Slice-of-Government-Cloud-Pie-74950.html
• http://gcn.com/articles/2012/04/25/salesforce-government-cloud-app-exchange.aspx

Recently, we have been getting a number of inquires asking whether our web-based land management software can handle the ongoing registration and compliance of foreclosed properties and abandoned buildings that are now managed by banks.

The common functionality of the request involves the registration of the property by the bank with the city, with re-registration occurring every six months or a year.  During the period, the bank managed property must keep the building or home up to code.  If there are violations against the property the bank must bring the property into compliance or face additional fees, and or/higher re-registration fees.

The common challenge for these cities is the need for a higher-level view of all the properties to determine which banks are good and/or bad at keeping abandoned buildings in compliance upon registration so the city can be proactive in dealing with them at registration.

The additional challenge is doing is quickly, and at a low-cost.

The solution is straight forward, even if we are expected to import your parcel data.  Setup can be as quick as three weeks if this is all that is needed to start with, and the ongoing cost is a low monthly fee per user.

The end solution can be called any number of things:

• Foreclosure Management Software
• Abandoned Buildings Tracking Software
• Foreclosure Compliance and Registration Tracking

Whatever it is, we can get you up and running quickly so you can start managing the banks and keeping citizens happy that their neighborhood property values don’t go down.