Oakland Co announces OakGov Challenge winners

And the winners of the OakGov Challenge are… Oakland County, in more ways than one. Two local smartphone applications creators split the $10,000 in prize money for creating apps that county officials plan to incorporate for wider use.”We will make these mobile applications available through our online services,” says Phil Bertolini, deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland County.Earlier this year Oakland County and AT&T teamed up to create the OakGov Challenge as a way to tap into the local tech expertise to help streamline county operations. AT&T provided the cash ($10,000) and the county agreed to provide the platform. The end result is three locally developed smartphone apps that are expected to enhance local government services.”It’s a contest that I thought was very fruitful,” Bertolini says.The winners are Oakland County residents Tom Hoag for his Parcel Viewer iPhone app and Godfrey Nolan for his Food Violations iPhone app. Genesee County-resident Sy Banerjee took third place for his OMG (Oh My God) Campus web application.Hoag’s Parcel Viewer iPhone app lets residents 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. Nolan’s Food Violations iPhone app enables residents to see if a restaurant has any critical or non-critical health code violations. That info is currently available through the Oakland County Health Department via a phone call. Banerjee’s OMG Campus app targets the 8,000 students at the University of Michigan – Flint, helping them access real-time or crisis-related information, such as exam deadlines, class cancellations, guest speakers, and daily discounts from local merchants.The apps are currently in the prototype stage and are being developed for public release in the near future. Bertolini declined to give a timeline for their release.Source: Phil Bertolini, deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke