Nutter proposes “unprecedented” $120 million IT budget, moves toward paperless

Mayor Nutter has announced plans to significantly invest in city information technology and pursue paperless government efficiencies in an attempt to improve tech infrastructure, cut costs and streamline city services.

“We may not be completely paperless, but we will use less paper,” Nutter said in his budget address to City Council this morning before a packed crowed that filled the historic Council chamber’s floor and balcony seating.

If City Council approves the budget, Nutter says that an “unprecedented” investment in city technology will provide $120 million to improve IT over the next five years, including $25 million in FY11.

Read more

Event Highlights for December 7 – December 13, 2009

Edited: Corrected time of BFTP.

Hope you weren’t trying to get any work done in these weeks before the holidays.

Our event calendar is as packed it has ever been, chock full of events for every kind of techie. Whether you want to brush up on your Python or throw down with your fellow new media heads, you have no excuse for driving straight home after work.

Start off the week at the home of our new Comcast overlords, taking in Chris Bartlett of Gay History Wiki, whom we’ve covered in the past, at this month’s Refresh Philly. Then, hold off until Thursday and take the day off to better familiarize yourself with Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ application process. When you are done plotting the next great Philadelphia business, head on over to PANMA’s holiday party to spend your future riches.

Read more

Event Highlights for November 2 – November 8, 2009

Updated @ 11/2/09 12:20 p.m.: A private event was incorrectly listed here. It has been removed.

Philadelphia Business Journal’s Peter Key nailed it on the head last Thursday when he compared Philadelphia and New York’s tech scenes.

“[Philadelphia] is really a tight-knit group of people [who] are having regular meet-ups,” an outside observer told the veteran tech reporter.

True again this week, as we see the regulars, like PhillyCHI and Philadelphia Linux Users Group, doing their monthly thing. Refresh Philly is still at it, as is First Round Capital, which you’ll see in our highlights after the jump.

As you may have noticed, we here at Technically Philly are trying to get involved too, doing what we can to work with local organizations to help spotlight the future of media. That’s why we’ve partnered with Temple University and others this week for PhIJI, the Philadelphia Initiative for Journalistic Innovation. Excuse us for the shameless self-promotion for an event that’s not free (but is affordable). Truly, we want you to be involved. There’s no better time to help shape the future of media in Philly and beyond, and we can think of no one better to help than our technology community.

Read more

Event Highlights for September 14-20, 2009

It’s a good week to be in Philadelphia. The Eagles and Phillies are winning, the weather is lovely and our calendar is chock full of events.

On weeks like these, picking the event highlights is like picking our favorite child. There’s something to attend every day of the week ranging from the 8Static chip party to Bloblive. But in the cage match that is TP’s event highlights, many events enter, only four can leave leave.

This week: Refresh Philly hosts representatives from GRID magazine (Full Disclosure: Brian James Kirk and Chris Wink have both written for GRID), Philly Build Guild reconvenes under its wide-open format, Philly Startup Leaders encourages entrepreneurial group therapy and Parking Day annexes local parking spaces.

All events listed on the event calendar are free to attend. Be sure to check our complete calendar for more.

Read more

Event highlights for the week of August 3 – August 9, 2009

What do the Phillies’ farm system, our Brian James Kirk’s apartment and our events calendar have in common this week?

They’re all nearly empty.

Cliff Lee and new apartments aside, techies apparently are enjoying this little thing we call “summer” as the TP event calendar is as sparse as ever.

But fear not, as Refresh Philly should have enough action to keep you occupied all week when the group meets at the Comcast Center on Monday. Three speakers are scheduled, including former Q&A club member Gwen Shaffer.

The next day, you can kick it with NetSquared at NetTuesday and chat about when to use social media.  The group’s new Web site will be used as an example.

All events listed on the event calendar are free to attend. Be sure to check our complete calendar for more information, or follow us past the jump.

Read more

Events highlights for the week of July 6 – July 12, 2009

Oh jeez, it’s Monday already.

All in favor of giving the city that can claim to be the birthplace of this nation an extra day off for Independence Day say “aye.”

Great. Now that we gave ourselves an extra day for the weekend, you’ll be delighted to know that this week’s calendar features BBQs, hacking and happy hours galore.

Refresh Philly is taking a short break from trying to solve our city government’s technology problems to get together for a happy hour at Triumph. Come for the fellowship, stay to measure the huge brewing equipment to see if you can fit it in your basement.

The happy hours continue on Wednesday with Center City district’s Sips event. PANMA and various marketing groups will be on hand to help you join the association that is right for you on what is the self-proclaimed “happiest happy hour.”

You will have to finish working on your time machine by Thursday as Philly Startup Leaders host a BBQ (previous coverage here) at the same time the Philly Cocoa Heads hold their monthly meetup.

And on Saturday, cap it all off with relaxing stroll through The Hacktory at the group’s Open Hack event.

All events listed on the event calendar are free to attend. Be sure to check our complete calendar for more information, or follow us past the jump.
Read more

Editorial: City government calls for tech support

Allan Frank, city CIO

Here’s a test.

Just how innovative and influential, forward-thinking yet practical is the technology community in Philadelphia? Because you’re being challenged.

We’re still reeling from a presentation that Allan Frank, the city’s chief information officer, gave at a meeting of Refresh Philly Monday night.

The Nutter administration is investing $100 million during the next four years into city technology, including a complete overhaul of Phila.gov, as he told 75 mostly professional, tech-savvy 30 and 40-somethings in a modern, white-walled conference room on the 45th floor of the Comcast Center yesterday.

Read more

City CIO’s $100 million Digital Philadelphia vision

PhillyCHI chair Dave Cooksey and human-computer interaction PhD holder Kellie Rae Carter open Refresh Philly session before city CIO Allan Frank takes the stage.

The Nutter administration will invest $100 million during the next four years in city technology, according to plans unveiled tonight by Philadelphia Chief Information Officer Allan Frank.

How they will is far less clear.

Frank unveiled his vision for a Digital Philadelphia Monday evening in front of a crowd of more than 75 members of the Refresh Philly design and developer community, as rain mist drifted past wall-length windows on the 45th floor of the Comcast Center.

The CIO hopes to employ a strategy that would procure federal broadband stimulus dollars to fund a longterm initiative overhauling the city’s technology infrastructure and its Phila.gov Web site.

“I basically want to blow the damn thing up,” he said to members as they clapped in support.

Frank said he’ll be open to input from the Philadelphia tech community leading up to a rough deadline to submit a proposal for federal stimulus dollars on August 15.

Read more

Events highlights for the week of May 4 – May 11, 2009

Can you be in ten different places at once on Tuesday to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Sure you can.

While this week’s events are weighted on Tuesday when ten local tech organizations will celebrate the Mexican holiday, there’s some exciting things happening the rest of the week.

Don’t miss the city’s Chief Information Officer Allan Frank tonight at Refresh Philly. While we know philly.gov phila.gov has a few, uhm, design issues, take it easy on Mr. Frank. He has feelings too, you know.

Tuesday’s a mouthful. Say it with me now: PANMA, Philly ALT.NET, Philly PRSSA, Philly Net Tuesday, Ideablob, Philadelphia SPIN, Central New Jersey Drupal meetup, Philadelphia Standards Organization. Phew! That’s a lot of Philly (and a little bit of Jerz).

Tinker with the Hacktory’s Open Hack! on Saturday or learn a little Cocoa with the launch of IndyHall-U. While we don’t normally include paid events on our calendar, Technically Philly is watching the launch IndyHall’s new education center.

All this week’s eventy-goodness, after the jump.

All events listed on the event calendar are free to attend. Be sure to check our complete calendar for more information, or follow us past the jump.
Read more

Events highlights for the week of April 6 – April 12, 2009

This week, there’s a ton of good stuff happening in the community, all listed on our events calendar. On Monday, Refresh Philly is taking a break from its lecture modus operandi to kick back with some beers at National Mechanics. It could be a great way to network with some of the city’s most innovative brains.

Net Tuesday Philly will be focused on GIS and maps this month, and have invited Robert Cheetham, founder and president of Avencia, a No Libs-based geographic software design company that works often with the public sector. Learn how GIS can help your non-profit. And if you’re for-profit, sneak in anyway. You’ll at least be able to ask someone how to work that darned GPS you’ve been toting around.

Brian Frantz and Jon Graves of Center City West-based The Neat Co. will be talking clean code at the Foundation Series Workshop Wednesday night, and Thursday has a burgeoning NJ and Philly Tech meetup. Be there. And by “there,” we mean at every single event.

Events listed in our highlights are free to attend. Please check our Events calendar for more information and read more after the jump.

Read more