The Open Data Trend

There’s no denying that I work with a talented bunch here at bv02.The innovative and forward thinking of each of our ten employees is,

a)    What makes us a leading web marketing company in Ottawa, and

b)   The reason I was so eager to work at bv02. I’m telling you, the sheer intelligence is both inspiring and motivational.

This past winter one of our well-respected developers, Matt Davidson, created a mobile-friendly site with a friend that uses open data from the National Capital Commission to provide Ottawans with canal conditions and entrance information for the Rideau Canal.

In a recent article in Computer World Canada, the author outlined what developers are doing with the new open data movement. Four major municipalities in Canada – Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, have started opening their data for public use through the Web. From the creation of websites to iPhone apps, Canadians are taking full advantage of open data, and Matt Davidson’s “Canal Conditions” was featured first in the article.

This comes to light after a GovCamp event that took place in Toronto this month. Steven Green, director of marketing and communications at the Government of Ontario Cabinet Office, hosted a discussion by posing the question, “If you had to pick one – social media or open data – what would it be?”

Unfortunately, the rapid flow of new content in social media makes it difficult for governments to keep up the pace. As such a large bureaucracy, governments typically work at a slower pace than the private sector due to government obligations and privacy protection.

As governments attempt to determine whether social media is here to stay, cities across Canada are following the open data trend.

Read the full article here.

Congrats Matt!

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