Mayor Kasim Reed officially launched Big Data Week – ATLANTA – 2014, in a press conference Tuesday, May 6th at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Conference Center.
The week-long technology conference is part of an international event to educate, inform and inspire a global community of data scientists, business executives, technologists and data businesses spanning major commercial, financial, social and technological sectors.
The organization and planning of Big Data Week – ATLANTA – 2014 is led by Emcien, a Big Data analytics software company headquartered in northwest Atlanta. Emcien partnered with the City of Atlanta and Metro Atlanta Chamber to drive engagement, and coordinated partnerships for events to be held throughout the week, at venues in and around Midtown and Georgia Tech.
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In his remarks, Mayor Reed expressed his enthusiasm and commitment to support and grow the technology industry in Atlanta, and to utilize Big Data capabilities to create a “culture of data-driven decision making.”
Mayor Reed spoke of the importance of a renewed focus on keeping high tech talent in Georgia, rather than continue to watch highly-educated and skilled graduates of Georgia Tech and other universities migrate to Silicon Valley or elsewhere for better opportunities. He stressed the importance of city and corporate involvement with emerging technology to build Atlanta as the undisputed leader in technology in the Southeast. Mayor Reed spoke of taking cues from the mayors of Boston and San Francisco on best practices in fostering high tech.
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When Radhika Subramanian, CEO of Emcien, Sponsor & Organizer of the 2nd Annual Big Data Week in Atlanta, challenged the Mayor to work with the established tech community in Atlanta, he responded, “I’m all in.”
Although the Mayor claims to be personally committed to his admittedly old-school Blackberry device, he spoke of the talent and knowledge pool surrounding him within his office. He introduced Kristin Wilson, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer – City of Atlanta, who announced the recent launch of a fellowship program with Code For America to target new projects and tech initiatives in city government.
The first project with Code For America is a new City of Atlanta Municipal Court website: court.atlantaga.gov. The Court’s website was overhauled to streamline and modernize online operations; to reduce wait times in court; and to make online payment and resolution of traffic citations easier. There is even a new text messaging system to remind you of any upcoming traffic court appearances.
Following Mayor Reed’s press conference, there were two additional Big Data & Government Applications Sessions at GTRI. Mike Alexander, Research Division Chief, Atlanta Regional Commission, presented Lunch & Learn: City of Atlanta & Neighborhood Nexus to showcase www.neighborhoodnexus.org. The website is a collaborative partnership providing access to and use of Big Data in analyzing and comparing neighborhood-level demographics, metrics and variables across the metro Atlanta region.
Russ Caldwell, Chief Technology Officer, Emcien, then presented Analyzing Data in Real-Time, a live demonstration of Big Data analysis and practical applications across data sets and sectors, including the Atlanta Police Department’s use of Emcien’s product solution to mitigate threats to public safety in Atlanta.
Big Data Week – ATLANTA – 2014 continues, with a full schedule of events and activities through Saturday, May 10th. There are many different sessions available, and many of them are free to attend. For more information and registration:
- www.meetup.com/atlanta-big-data-week-2014/
- or visit www.bigdataweek.com/atlanta
