Philadelphia's open data initiative gains recognition from tech magazine

Office of Innovation and Technology selected for CIO 100

Philadelphia Office of Innovation and Technology's Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid.
Philadelphia Office of Innovation and Technology/phila.gov

Philadelphia's Office of Technology and Innovation has been recognized by a technology magazine for its focus on open data.

The office selected for CIO Magazine's "CIO 100," an annual awards ceremony that recognizes organizations for their work in information technology. 

Philadelphia's office was chosen for, among other things, releasing 190 open data sets through OpenDataPhilly.org and for the creation of the Philadelphia Property Search tool, which allows residents to search and compare property valuation data, and the AVI Calculator, which helps residents ensure their real estate tax is fair. 

The office's Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid said in a news release that the recognition was appreciated because government offices aren't usually noticed by the awards. 

"One reason we’ve been able to advance public facing initiatives like open data and digital inclusion is that we’ve strengthened our internal capacity to provide day-to-day technology support for city departments, and that’s a credit to our whole organization," Ebeid said. 

CIO Magazine is published by CIO, a company that runs a number of programs and publications which provide "technology and business leaders with insight and analysis on information technology trends and a keen understanding of IT's role in achieving business goals."

The office will be recognized at the CIO Symposium and Awards Ceremony, which will take place in Colorado Springs from August 9-11.