The July 18, 2005 event is designed to unveil the 5th Ward Community Portal and
Public Safety Initiatives, and introduce key partners. The portal enhances
economic development and public safety opportunities to 5th Ward, that
previously were not available to technology-excluded communities like it before.
Hence, these opportunities have the potential to be experienced by approximately
20,000 people in 5th Ward – improving their quality of life – supporting the 5th
Ward Mantra of making 5th Ward a better place to live, work, and play.
The 5th Ward Community Portal will allow a level of collaboration and
information that 5th Ward has not experienced before. Four for-profit and five
non-profit businesses will pilot the portal’s virtual business directory which is
driven by Schipul’s Tendenci® membership management software. Providing
each business with a web presence will enhance if not create a new level of
economic development for them overall.
In addition to the economic development component of the portal, two area
schools in 5th Ward will pilot the public safety component. The Portal’s crisis
communication system which operates on DCC’s Communicator! NXT software
will alert first responders during potentially life-threatening situations; automate
communications between school personnel and parents; or warn neighborhoods at
risk. This public safety initiative is the brain-child of a plan to heighten 5th Ward’s
exposure to future homeland security initiatives.
Moreover, the technology solutions developed by the 5th Ward/HP i-community,
are the tools used to build 5th Ward as a global community…1 byte @ a time.
Defined by the fact that one byte equals 8 bits in the world of computer
conversions, the 5th Ward/HP i-community team believed that building this global
community requires at least eight bits: Bit 1) Globalization, Bit 2) Homeland
Security, Bit 3) Digital Inclusion, Bit 4) Economic Development, Bit 5) Public
Safety, Bit 6) Job Creation, Bit 7) Education, and Bit 8) Community Building. |
|
