SF TO OPEN CITYS 311 CALL CENTER TO APP DEVELOPERS...

[Kimo Crossman]

From: Brian Purchia [mailto:Brian....@sfgov.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 11:43 AM
To: ma...@csrsf.com
Subject: *** PRESS RELEASE *** MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES SAN FRANCISCO TO
OPEN CITY’S 311 CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO DEVELOPERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Contact: Mayor's Office of Communications,
415-554-6131

                           *** PRESS RELEASE ***

 MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES SAN FRANCISCO TO OPEN CITY’S 311 CUSTOMER SERVICE
                           CENTER TO DEVELOPERS

San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor Newsom announced that San Francisco is
going to transform the City’s 311 Customer Service Center into a tool of
even greater value by building an Open 311 platform. Open 311 will allow
software developers to write web applications that do two things: 1) get
service request data from the 311 system, and 2) submit new service
requests to city departments.

“The success of DataSF and the DataSF App Showcase has proven that the
public will create innovative applications when given access to the
information they need,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “We anticipate the same
response and innovation from Open 311.”

The 311 Customer Service Center, which launched in March 2007, has answered
over 7 million calls and serves callers in more than 176 languages. Making
an Open 311 API (Application Programming Interface) will open the current
311 service to those who wish to build applications on top of it.

“We imagine that many applications will be built from Open 311,” said Nancy
Alfaro, Director of 311. “For example, a smart phone application that
allows citizens to easily report new issues to city departments with their
device’s camera and GPS system.”

The Open 311 API is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

"Creating an Open 311 system will allow web sites and civic-minded
developers like EveryBlock to create useful web applications without any
cost to the city. This allows them to focus on the actual delivery of
services rather than the technology to manage and display requests,” said
EveryBlock co-founder Daniel X. O'Neil. “We highly recommend that all
municipalities follow San Francisco's lead."

A new section of EveryBlock (http://sf.everyblock.com/service-requests/)
created from a 311 data feed available on DataSF.org gives a detailed break
down of what people are asking for by block, neighborhood, zip code and
day.

Earlier this year, Mayor Newsom announced a first of its kind application
that allows San Franciscans to access 311 via Twitter. Instead of making a
phone call, members of the public can send a tweet or a text to alert the
city about a pothole, or find out about city initiatives. You can follow
311 on Twitter at @SF311.

If you are interested in using or helping design the Open 311API please
visit: http://apps.sfgov.org/Open311API/?page_id=57.

                                    ###

         (See attached file: 10_14_09.Open 311 Press Release.pdf)

Brian Purchia
Deputy Director of Communications
Office of Mayor Gavin Newsom
work: (415) 554-6131
fax: (415) 554-4058
brian....@sfgov.org