Kosrae, an island in the South Pacific located between Guam and the Hawaiian Islands, was settled as early as 1250. But much of the island’s rich history is unknown by the people who live there, as well as the handful of scuba divers who visit annually to explore the pristine coral reefs surrounding the island.

Technically News scans thousands of industry articles to present you with a weekly source of IT news, information, and ideas that impact the public sector. In this edition: Using GIS Technology to Develop Government Apps; 20 State and Local Government Technology Infographics; Big Data: What to Consider Before Releasing Information to the Public; Virtualization Will Drive the Storage Market; Cloud Computing Adoption Grows, Bandwidth Isn't

By Nancy Mann Jackson Twenty-five years ago, the National Geographic Society’s Geography Education Program launched Geography Awareness Week (GA Week), an awareness program focused on highlighting the importance of geo-literacy and geo-education. GA Week is celebrated every third week of November with educational programs, activities and celebrations around the world. Increasingly, geography professionals have gotten involved in GA Week activities, volunteering their time to help produce activities, make presentations at local schools, and otherwise share their expertise with their communities. Professionals who give their time during GA Week say they find it gratifying to share their expertise with the public, educate their communities about the important discipline of geography, and spark the interest of future geographers.

By Nancy Mann Jackson When a state or region experiences a major weather event such as a hurricane, blizzard or tornado, numerous agencies and organizations must work together to manage the crisis. For instance, when Hurricane Irene battered the U.S. East Coast in August 2011, thousands of workers were called into action, including fire and rescue personnel, utility workers, public health officials and workers at all levels of state and local government. Typically, each of these groups maintains its own geographical data, tracking a storm, flood or other disaster, and working in a silo to ensure its own portion of the rescue and recovery is completed.

When you need directions to a location, where do you go to find them? If you’re like most people, you go to Google Maps. It’s the most popular mapping application in the world. Its companion application, Google Earth, has been downloaded more than 950 million times. But these familiar tools aren’t just for personal use. They’re also being used in crisis response situations, helping city and county governments to make critical information accessible to their response teams and to the public. Google Maps Engine, formerly known as Google Earth Builder, is a combination of Google Maps, Google Earth and other tools organized to help government organizations streamline emergency management processes.

Many state, local and municipality professionals surveying and AEC professionals are familiar with the tools of their trade, and perhaps less eager to embrace quickly evolving technologies – even though they can help them achieve more with less.

How can local governments reduce their costs while keeping up with their services and readiness? For the past two decades, local governments have been using GIS technology to manage and improve responses for service departments, as well as citizens. GIS applications gives the ability to view and evaluate the locations and status of emergency equipment and early response crews, police and fire infrastructure. Current geospatial information gives government teams the ability to respond faster and plan for the future more effectively.

Maintaining seamless citizen services in a city the size of Charlotte, NC, back in 2009, was quite a challenge. From garbage pickup, administering construction permits, to street maintenance, the City its staff and customer service representatives (CSRs) needed to be able to provide a comprehensive and seamless service to its 730,000+ residents. The problem was that City staff and CSRs had to navigate several applications and conduct multiple searches when responding to inquiries and status requests. Not only was this process time consuming and frustrating to citizens, these legacy solutions were intimidating to Charlotte’s staff and CSRs.

Maintaining seamless citizen services in a city the size of Charlotte, NC, back in 2009, was quite a challenge. From garbage pickup, administering construction permits, to street maintenance, the City its staff and customer service representatives (CSRs) needed to be able to provide a comprehensive and seamless service to its 730,000+ residents. The problem was that City staff and CSRs had to navigate several applications and conduct multiple searches when responding to inquiries and status requests. Not only was this process time consuming and frustrating to citizens, these legacy solutions were intimidating to Charlotte’s staff and CSRs.

This is the third in a series of blogs that shares the extraordinary and sometimes life-changing stories and experiences of a group of CAD, AEC, GIS and BIM experts who have chosen to share their knowledge with under-served communities and nations. These volunteers work hand-in-hand with KnowledgeWell, a non-profit organization whose goal is to transform the barriers faced by under-resourced nations into opportunities for successful business enterprise and public sector programs. From Moscow to Micronesia and beyond, KnowledgeWell helps these communities to become more self-sufficient, increase their visibility in the global marketplace and create awareness of sustainable, environmentally friendly business practices.