iPhones on pothole patrol

[0:00] ..." The city's first ever iPhone application is being launched -- your residence a direct connection to City Hall. For requests and complaints regarding all issues ranging from. Potholes the fallen trees and graffiti it's part of a new citizens connect online service. I spoke to the city's chief information officer bill Lopes bill explain this iPhone application mean lots of people -- iPhone. Love the play -- their apps as they call for sure but this one's different."...

[0:32] ..." about it. What happens is. Not phone user will download citizens connect. IPhone applications. Ought to their own. And what that will give them as an ability no matter where they are in the city"...

[1:04] ..." take a picture of the pothole. I can submit that. Because the iPhone has GPS. We know we are you are where you're making net service requests. And when you submitted it'll come directly into our -- request system in the city. So basically what we're doing its connecting that iPhone user right to the person actually -- deliver that service forty."...

[1:49] ..." we're giving you is an ability to do that directly from your iPhone with a nice map interface. And then we'll give you attracting number. So that if it's again pothole or trash or anything"...

[2:11] ..." under the impression though that people actually could use is that like pay taxes paid parking days of Iran."...

[2:16] ..." Well not at this point at this point the iPhone app is first service requests if you want. Pay a parking ticket if you wanted to do -- financial transaction with. You can go -- our city of Boston dot gov web site you can do all those kinds of things up on line. We have it put that feature into the iPhone application yet. But it is this is actually a first for -- with the iPhone. We're gonna announce another initiative we have today called debate a Boston we -- the iPhone application is just the beginning what beta Boston there's going to be. It's going to be out taking our -- and not services. And kind of put them out there are folks that want to write applications to be able to interact with the city. We're really excited about that we think that that's -- Allow people to create. Interesting applications and beat on the iPhone other mobile devices. For other functions. And will provide them with standard interfaces and data so they'll be able the create new"...

[3:27] ..." Well again you know what we're doing is we katic all the the developer's tool kit that would -- Boston will be. But because of the nature of of what beta bought in the years. We're gonna"...

[3:50] ..." How many people in the in the Boston area have an iPhone the obviously this is only as effective. As people have the device to use it."...

[3:58] ..." Yeah I think in this first this first phase. The iPhone app is going to be limited to the folks -- and again we hope that changes fairly soon. We're not exactly sure what the numbers we have not brought that out as a full term apple votes are making it the couple times but we don't have any firm numbers from them. But you know based on those discussions. We do know that there are a lot of iPhone application use. IPhone users across the city of Boston. We know at the university level. Lot of young professionals and just you know our our."...

[5:15] ..." at midnight you're able to download the citizens download that citizens connect iPhone application."...

[5:41] ..." is getting right to our public safety folks. What we're talking about iPhone its citizens connect citizens connect is really going to be our new brand for online constituent services across the the city. And again I own desire and unique new way. To -- that. Citizen a chance to engage directly with backbone device. And and and may it be able to submit a request that will go directly to the folks that are cleaning up graffiti or fixing potholes etc. So we think that -- and capability iPhone is great. But again we have a really robust web site to do a lot of online transactions like parking tickets. That your real estate taxes and over 300 other requests. And a call center has personal service available to everybody in the city point four out of"...

[6:34] ..." Now again I think that we want to get iPhone out there have been working on this one for a couple months. We had a whole bunch of people test the application we wanted to make sure worked well on its integrated well with. The service delivery system that we have in the city. So we we think we got a good shape -- that got apple to approve the applications so -- ready to go with that today. And then again with paid a box and we're going"...

[7:28] ..." are you are which kind of supplement GPS stated that in the iPhone itself. Very easy to use. Being able to take the picture of the of the service requests that you're making. This -- so much to our ability to respond to the yacht service requests. So we're really happy with how the applications came out. We help a lot of people downloaded. And just you're not closer touch -- everything that's going on out in the city with a whole new set of folks that have iPhone to their hands."...

[0:00]" The city's first ever iPhone application is being launched -- your residence a direct connection to City Hall. For requests and complaints regarding all issues ranging from. Potholes the fallen trees and graffiti it's part of a new citizens connect online service. I spoke to the city's chief information officer bill Lopes bill explain this iPhone application mean lots of people -- iPhone. Love the play -- their apps as they call for sure but this one's different."

[0:29]" Yet this one is different and we're real excited about it. What happens is. Not phone user will download citizens connect. IPhone applications. Ought to their own. And what that will give them as an ability no matter where they are in the city if they see any opportunity. Submit -- service requests state. C a pothole or they see some tracks that didn't get picked up they're going to be able use that application. In a very simple fashion and be able to. Open up its service requests so I see a possible. I can take a picture of the pothole. I can submit that. Because the iPhone has GPS. We know we are you are where you're making net service requests. And when you submitted it'll come directly into our -- request system in the city. So basically what we're doing its connecting that iPhone user right to the person actually -- deliver that service forty."

[1:33]" Well this is -- intended for parking tickets witnesses intended for right now is any kind of service request that you woke up so. It's it's really if you gonna call our -- pot line or are you gonna go online for one of our online services. Now what we're giving you is an ability to do that directly from your iPhone with a nice map interface. And then we'll give you attracting number. So that if it's again pothole or trash or anything graffiti whatever you might see. You'll submitted to us. We'll give you -- tracking number and we'll let you know when that service -- request yet completed."

[2:10]" Nawaz under the impression though that people actually could use is that like pay taxes paid parking days of Iran."

[2:16]" Well not at this point at this point the iPhone app is first service requests if you want. Pay a parking ticket if you wanted to do -- financial transaction with. You can go -- our city of Boston dot gov web site you can do all those kinds of things up on line. We have it put that feature into the iPhone application yet. But it is this is actually a first for -- with the iPhone. We're gonna announce another initiative we have today called debate a Boston we -- the iPhone application is just the beginning what beta Boston there's going to be. It's going to be out taking our -- and not services. And kind of put them out there are folks that want to write applications to be able to interact with the city. We're really excited about that we think that that's -- Allow people to create. Interesting applications and beat on the iPhone other mobile devices. For other functions. And will provide them with standard interfaces and data so they'll be able the create new applications. And we think we'll build a large portfolio of things that people can now in Iraq with the city."

[3:27]" Well again you know what we're doing is we katic all the the developer's tool kit that would -- Boston will be. But because of the nature of of what beta bought in the years. We're gonna do something that will. Keep everything very secure from a city perspective so the way we've built -- slipped standard interfaces. We're protecting ourselves against those -- the bank."

[3:50]" How many people in the in the Boston area have an iPhone the obviously this is only as effective. As people have the device to use it."

[3:58]" Yeah I think in this first this first phase. The iPhone app is going to be limited to the folks -- and again we hope that changes fairly soon. We're not exactly sure what the numbers we have not brought that out as a full term apple votes are making it the couple times but we don't have any firm numbers from them. But you know based on those discussions. We do know that there are a lot of iPhone application use. IPhone users across the city of Boston. We know at the university level. Lot of young professionals and just you know our our. Tech environment that we have with in the city of Boston. The city -- is a a big area chronic abusers."

[4:51]" Yeah we're dealt yet this is not intended for emergency purposes you know we kind of look at our world -- a couple different ways of an emergency. We want folks to be calling 911. If it's constituent service requests we now have multiple ways for you to get in touch but we have a 24 hour service if you wanna call. We -- 300 online service request now available on our city of Boston dot gov web site. And as of last night at midnight you're able to download the citizens download that citizens connect iPhone application."

[5:25]" Get tips line is still there are tips it again was. You know very innovative use of technology by the Boston Police Department where people are able to anonymously text. -- into that goes directly to the police department we want to make sure they're anything but public safety related is getting right to our public safety folks. What we're talking about iPhone its citizens connect citizens connect is really going to be our new brand for online constituent services across the the city. And again I own desire and unique new way. To -- that. Citizen a chance to engage directly with backbone device. And and and may it be able to submit a request that will go directly to the folks that are cleaning up graffiti or fixing potholes etc. So we think that -- and capability iPhone is great. But again we have a really robust web site to do a lot of online transactions like parking tickets. That your real estate taxes and over 300 other requests. And a call center has personal service available to everybody in the city point four out of their."

[6:34]" Now again I think that we want to get iPhone out there have been working on this one for a couple months. We had a whole bunch of people test the application we wanted to make sure worked well on its integrated well with. The service delivery system that we have in the city. So we we think we got a good shape -- that got apple to approve the applications so -- ready to go with that today. And then again with paid a box and we're going to be opening up a lot of data because we're hopeful that if we can really engaged. The developer community community in the area. We're gonna give an -- a lot more features functionalities applications in the near term."

[7:14]" Now I think we're real excited about it that we're real excited about the look and feel of the application I think when people downloaded -- start using it. It has really nice map interface and you're able. Specifically identify who we are you are which kind of supplement GPS stated that in the iPhone itself. Very easy to use. Being able to take the picture of the of the service requests that you're making. This -- so much to our ability to respond to the yacht service requests. So we're really happy with how the applications came out. We help a lot of people downloaded. And just you're not closer touch -- everything that's going on out in the city with a whole new set of folks that have iPhone to their hands."