"Government 2.0" in Massachusetts, A MITX Event

Panelists:

Brad Blake - Director, New Media & Online Strategy, Office of the Governor
Chris Dempsey - Assistant Secretary, Mass Department of Transportation
Anne Margulies - CIO, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Josh Robin - Performance Reporting Manager, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Jason Snyder - CTO, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Open Data Initiative Creates Opportunities for Digital Entrepreneurs

Have you ever found yourself waiting in the bitter cold at the end of a long day, wondering "where's my bus?" Did you wish there was a way to know how far away the bus was so you could go into a near-by coffee shop to warm up, but worry you were going to somehow miss the bus?

Worry no longer. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is working with web developers throughout the state to develop mobile applications that relay transit data in real-time on your mobile devices and through in-store LED screens. This work is an ideal example of the state's Open Data Initiative, a statewide program to release masses of valuable public data to the citizens of the Commonwealth for development of mobile and Web applications.

That may sound boring, but there's a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs to transform spreadsheets about bus and T schedules, public safety figures, health data, and air quality information into useful applications. Join MITX & representatives from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to understand what interesting applications have been developed using this data, and more importantly, how you can use the information for developing your own mobile or Web application.

We'll start the evening with a case study presentation from the Department of Transportation about what has been done - and what will be done through the announcement of the winners of the MassDOT Developers Real-Time Challenge. The Challenge calls on developers to create both applications and physical installations using a real-time feed of MBTA bus locations and arrival predictions with the goal of making this information available anywhere, anytime. Interested in participating in this challenge? Click here for the full Rules and FAQ.

The evening will close with a "What's Next" conversation about future datasets and opportunities for entrepreneurs from the perspectives of the Commonwealths' CIO and CTO. Whether you're an entrepreneur interested in learning how to utilize this powerful data or a citizen interested in how these advancements will help you, you won't want to miss this event as we explore 'Government 2.0" in Massachusetts.

Agenda:
6:00pm - 6:30pm Networking
6:30pm - 7:15pm Massachusetts Department of Transportation Case Study and Developers' Challenge Winners Announcement
7:15pm - 8:00pm What's Next: Upcoming Datasets and How You Can Get Engaged

http://www.mitx.org/events/2160.cfm

[jonpierce]