City of Kalamazoo recognized for technology initiatives

Kalamazoo, Michigan — Kalamazoo was named one of the top “Digital Cities” by the Center for Digital Government.

The organization’s rankings place Kalamazoo as one of the department’s top digital cities in the nation. Kalamazoo was ranked No. 10 in the 75,000-124,999 population category in the Center for Digital Government’s 2022 Digital Cities Survey.

The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory body focused on technology policy and best practices for state and local governments.

The Center for Digital Government highlights cities like Kalamazoo through technology and leadership to improve digital, civic and government experiences.

For example, the Kalamazoo Department of Information Technology was cited for its work with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to collect and analyze safety-related data and to implement a new citywide security camera system and public safety videoconferencing. Help with daily shift calls.

“Kalamazoo has always been well-regarded across the country for our digital initiatives, but this is the first time we’ve received a former Top 10 ranking.” “Obviously, we’re excited to be a unique group among our national peers, and we’re proud to see the hard work and work of our IT team receive this accolade.”

Winners of the Digital Cities Survey were selected from five demographic categories. The top 10 cities in these categories, as well as the recipients of the Future Ready Awards, will be in Kansas City, Missouri on Nov. 17.

According to the Digital City Survey, a major focus of Kalamazoo’s technology and innovation efforts over the past year has been working with other city departments to identify innovation opportunities, with IT acting as a service provider. For example, Kalamazoo IT works with the Department of Public Safety to collect and analyze security-related data, the group said.

Kalamazoo’s IT staff also spearheaded the development of a new citywide security camera system and implemented video conferencing for public safety to help with daily shift calls. IT is also assisting the public service with an overhaul of Kalamazoo’s physical infrastructure, including mapping the current infrastructure and integrating it with planned improvements, the group said.

Cybersecurity also remains a priority for Kalamazoo. Currently, IT is helping with major fixes to the overall security strategy as well as network segmentation, both of which are expected to be completed by the end of this year. A comprehensive network redesign is also planned for 2023.

The City of Kalamazoo transitioned to a new website platform in May. This makes it possible to add location services, simple maps, improved search, content subscriptions, and more.

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