Oakland County Names Software Contest Winners
Tom Hoag won first place in the OakGov Challenge software development contest sponsored by Oakland county.
Hoag's Parcel Viewer application for the iPhone is designed for residents to view maps and county-provided information about properties, parks and other sites in Oakland County. By selecting specific points of interest, the user will be able to access additional information including driving directions and phone numbers.
Coming in second place in the event was Godfrey Nolan for an iPhone application called Food Violations that offers complete information on restaurant health inspection overlaid on iPhone maps.
In third place was Sy Banerjee, who took third place for his OMG Campus college information Web application, intended to help University of Michigan-Flint students, faculty and staff access real-time or crisis-related information such as exam deadlines, class cancellations, guest speakers, and daily discounts from local merchants.
Hoag, Nolan and Banerjee shared $10,000 in prize money donated by AT&T Michigan.
During his 2010 State of the County address, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson encouraged those who live, work or go to school in the Economic Growth Alliance region to take part in the OakGov Challenge to develop Web or smartphone applications that enhance government services for residents.
"The applications created by these three programmers highlight the outstanding technical skills and innovation in this region," Patterson said. "Thanks to our partnership with AT&T Michigan, three very talented individuals had the opportunity to win some prize money."
Added AT&T Michigan president Jim Murray: "At AT&T Michigan, we strive each day to put innovation to work to keep Michiganians connected across every device and in every community, wherever they live and work. We are proud of our work bringing Michigan residents new ideas that make life simpler and are proud to partner with Oakland County in this effort."
"These applications combined with county data not only spark innovation, but also create more opportunities for self-service and increase the transparency of government services," said Oakland County Deputy Executive and CIO Phil Bertolini.
Bertolini, AT&T regional vice president Roger Blake and Great Lakes IT Report editor Matt Roush served as judges in the competition.
All three applications are in the prototype stage.
The EGA is a partnership among Oakland, Livingston, Genesee, Lapeer and St. Clair counties that leverages infrastructure and skilled workforce assets to enhance economic opportunities throughout the five-county region. A sixth significant county is expected to join the EGA soon.
No taxpayer dollars were used to fund the OakGov Challenge.
Using an iPhone and the Augmented Reality Street Data View app, citizens can view county provided information about properties, parks, etc. on traditional street maps. Additional information about each point
of interest (e.g. driving directions, phone number, etc.) is available by tapping the location's marker on the map. Also, using the iPhone's compass, GPS and camera, the app provides an 'augmented reality' view of the location: when the user views a point of interest through the app's camera view, the app overlays pertinent information about the location being viewed. For example, the user can retrieve and view
property value information about a house simply by viewing it through the app's camera view.
Hoag's Cluebucket Software is a Michigan based software development company delivering mobile applications specifically targeting the innovative features of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
More at www.cluebucket.com or http://OakGovChallenge.com.
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