ICMA and IBTS Develop New Smart Communities Publication
Ashburn, VA (PRWEB) October 10, 2017 -- The Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is pleased to announce that it recently released a new publication, created in partnership with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The Smart Solutions: Technology Serving Communities e-book provides valuable information on “smart communities” and emerging technologies to local elected officials, city and county managers, and academics.
A smart community is defined as one that uses Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance its livability, workability, and sustainability. In a time of rapid technological advancement, community leaders must adapt and become familiar with these smart technologies and consider what impacts they may have on their communities. The Smart Solutions e-book provides how-to guidance, case studies, and relevant resources for local government officials that can be used to achieve greater efficiency and improved service delivery within communities.
For example, the City of Guymon, OK, is highlighted as a case study in this publication. The case study tells the story of how the City, with the help of IBTS, solved one of the City’s most prevalent problems – the need for improved customer service response to the residential and business community. The implementation of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system allowed the City staff to prioritize, organize, and communicate requests from the community. Implementation of this efficient and effective solution has resulted in customer response times reduced from minutes to now mere seconds.
Bringing smart solutions and technology to communities requires local officials to ask the right questions, think about community concerns, and implement what they have envisioned. Through the use of this publication, public officials can gain answers to how the smart city approach could benefit their own community. Smart Solutions: Technology Serving Communities is also a valuable tool to move the smart community conversation forward and could stimulate new ideas about the future of community-oriented technology.
The Smart Solutions e-book is now available free of charge for download on IBTS’s website by following the link below:
http://www.ibts.org/resources/guides/smart-solutions-technology-serving-communities-e-book/
For more information on this publication, please contact Patrick Howell at phowell(at)ibts.org.
About IBTS
IBTS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping communities through quality services that reduce risk, enhance public safety, and improve quality of life. IBTS is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia with branch offices across the country. IBTS’s work is guided by a Board of Directors made up of government officials appointed by five of the most highly respected, grassroots, state and local governmental associations, including the Council of State Governments (CSG), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), and National League of Cities (NLC).
Michelle Waddle, Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), http://www.ibts.org, +1 (703) 481-2000 Ext: 115, [email protected]
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