Dallas, Texas – (January 21st, 2010) – After a three-year absence from the list, Ottawa is proud to resume its position as one of the top seven intelligent communities in the world. The announcement was made yesterday at the annual conference of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) in Hawaii. VanillaSoft’s Canadian operation was been in Ottawa/Gatineau since 2005.

ICF singled out Ottawa for its relentless focus on education and start-ups adding that the number of partnerships and programs in place are almost too many to count. One of the top seven will be announced as the Intelligent Community of the Year on May 21, 2010 at ICF’s Broadband Economy Summit.

The theme of the 2010 competition is “The Education Last Mile – closing the gap from School to Work.” Communities were encouraged to demonstrate local projects and initiatives that help to prepare young people for careers in the community. “This is certainly an area in which Ottawa excels. There are many examples of associations and companies working together with our educational institutions to ensure that our talent pipeline is filled with people who are prepared and excited about the potential of working in Ottawa’s knowledge-based community,” explains Claude Haw, President and CEO, OCRI. “Ottawa is Canada’s creative economy capital and today’s announcement fully supports what we already know about our great city.”

Some of the initiatives included in the submission to showcase Ottawa’s commitment to actively using broadband and information technology to excel in today’s global economy were: Abbott Point of Care’s Microelectronics Apprenticeship Program; Carleton University’s Visualization and Simulation Lab (VSIM); Ottawa Public Library’s Digital Inclusion Programs; Algonquin College’s Virtual College; OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre Satellite Kiosks; Wesley Clover’s Affiliate Program; the Ottawa High School Technology Program; TalentBridge; and Lead to Win.

“We are thrilled that Ottawa has been recognized by the ICF as one of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year,” said Larry O’Brien, Mayor of the City of Ottawa. “Our diverse technological expertise and world-class talent bode well for the future of Ottawa.”

The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) is a New York-based think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community. Whether in industrial or developing nations, communities are challenged to create prosperity, stability and cultural meaning in a world where jobs, investment and progress increasingly depend on broadband communications. The Intelligent Community Forum seeks to share best practices and offer research and insights into the success of the world’s Intelligent Communities.

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