Award-winning Accelerate Virginia

Accelerate Virginia has won a Governor’s Technology Award for IT as Economic Development Driver. The award recognizes the innovative use of technology to promote economic development in the area served. This category seeks the most innovative strategies which leverage information technology to further economic development initiatives.

Secretary of Technology James Duffey, Seth Peery, Jarrod Rife, Jean Plymale, Patrick Fay, and Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Sam Nixon

Photo by Charlie Reilly, VITA

AccelerateVirginia is a statewide initiative of eCorridors that seeks to engage and educate the public regarding broadband availability in Virginia. Targeted campaigns collect consumer Internet service details, and the electronic marketing campaign leverages GIS tools for collecting information volunteered from end users through an enhanced version of the eCorridors speed test application. See www.acceleratevirginia.org

eCorridors produces value-added mapping products and report generation tools. As an economic development tool, Accelerate Virginia can be used to assess availability, affordability, and quality of Internet services in regions and communities wishing to attract clean industry businesses, and the associated creative workforce.

The award was presented at COVITS on Sept. 26. Winners are posted on www.covits.org.

Taken from Virginia Tech - Office of the Vice President for Information Technology
October 2011