City of Austin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release Date: Jan. 24, 2012

Contact: Kevin Johns 512-974-7802 Email

Austin named a finalist for the Intelligent Community of the Year award

Austin, Texas was named to the Top Seven List of Intelligent Communities for 2012 last week by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) at a conference in Honolulu, Hawaii which places Austin as a finalist for its Intelligent Community of the Year award.

The Intelligent Community Forum is a think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community.

Austin’s selection came as a result of its commitment to utilize information and communication technologies in innovative ways that serve the community to address workforce challenges, and due to its post dot-com adaptability with renewed economic development strategies that led to a near $6 billion increase in regional payrolls over five years that continues to grow.

The City of Austin’s Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, including the Emerging Technologies Program, and the City’s Office of Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs along with assistance from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce submitted the application for consideration late last year.

“Austin strives to be a thought leader,” said Kevin Johns, Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office Director. “By leveraging our cultural, economic and business assets, the City of Austin application for Intelligent Community of the Year would help serve as a platform to promote Austin and further transform business culture within a global marketplace.”

ICF developed The Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year to provide role models for the world's best practices in creating competitive local economies and vibrant societies in today's hyper-competitive global economy, which broadband communications is increasingly linking into a dynamic whole. In the "broadband economy," adaptability outweighs legacy, skills rather than resources are the keys to the future, and innovation, not location, creates a competitive advantage.