Cape Coral EDC office wins technology award

The City of Cape Coral won the Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership Award for its application and implementation of Internet solutions to a business challenge.

Christy Vogt of the Cape Coral Economic Development Office and John MacLean of the city's ITS Department accepted the award at the Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership's inaugural awards ceremony. The award recognizes the city's economic development Web site (www. bizcapecoral.com) and the city's leading edge e-government capabilities within the public safety and community development departments (www.capecoral.net).

"The redesigned economic development Web site creates an advanced global presence for the city's economic development efforts," said Terry Stewart, Cape Coral city manager and economic development director.

Among the site's features is a powerful tool to help users find commercial land and buildings and to provide them instantly with business and workforce information, maps and demographics of Cape Coral. With Cape Coral Prospector, visitors can rapidly tailor maps and reports to suit their needs and access data that would normally take weeks to collect at a cost of thousands of dollars. The free service is available at www.bizcapecoral.com.

In addition, Cape Coral is the first Florida city to deploy a wireless network linking fire stations, city charter schools and the police mobile command center to enhance public safety.