City of Charlotte Launches 'My-Charlotte' Mobile Application

The City of Charlotte has launched "My-Charlotte," a mobile
application for wireless smart phones that allows users to access
municipal services on the go. Currently, the first iteration of the
application is available only on the Apple iPhone, but the City plans
to expand into other mobile devices such as the Motorola DROID and
BlackBerry in early 2011. City Council approved the $120,000 contract
for the application in July.

"The My-Charlotte application allows the City to accomplish two
important goals," said Jeff Stovall, the City's Chief Information
Officer. "First, it provides another level of convenience for
residents who want more options in how they access our services, and
secondly, by investing in these types of technologies, we are able to
manage the costs of providing customer service to the residents that
we serve." A traditional call made to 311 costs the City $4.91 per
call, while reports made through My-Charlotte will have little to no
incremental costs.

Among its many uses, the My-Charlotte application allows users to:
• Access services via 311 to report graffiti, potholes and other
neighborhood nuisances
• Obtain flight and parking information at Charlotte Douglas
International Airport
• Search traffic accident locations from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department
• Access a link to download the CATS mobile application for transit
information

"While we are satisfied with the application at this point, we know
there is always room for improvement, so we welcome any feedback from
the public as we examine ways to make enhancements in the future,"
Stovall said. A feedback area is available in the 311 form of the
mobile application, which is currently available in the Apple iTunes
store. A link for the application is also available at www.charmeck.org.