Durham Region wins TECHNATION Ingenious Award for Smart Home Device Voice Service

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham has won a TECHNATION Ingenious Award for its myDurham 311 Smart Home Device Voice Service project. The award recognizes Canadian technology talent and initiatives designed to improve performance, introduce new services, solve problems and grow businesses through the use of technology. The Region was the winner in the IoT award category.

The award winners were announced at a virtual awards presentation on November 30 during the CIO’s Future of Digital Innovation Summit & Awards Canada event. The same event also recognized the myDurham 311 voice service as one of the winners of the CIO Awards Canada 2022. These awards celebrate the technology world’s most innovative organizations and initiatives.

The myDurham 311 Smart Home Device Voice Service is the first of its kind for a municipality in Canada. It uses smart home devices, like Alexa and Google, to provide information about Regional services. This makes it easy to find out about information about Durham Region: elected officials, Regional facilities, waste pick up, the nearest bus stop or when to expect the next Durham Region Transit bus.

Kalyan Chakravarthy, Durham Region’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), was previously named a finalist for a TECHNATION Ingenious award in the Canadian Public Sector Disruptor category. This award celebrates a Canadian Public Sector leader and change agent whose demonstrated leadership actions has disrupted and/or significantly changed how government at any level does business with citizens and/or corporations and has impacted national or regional prosperity through technology implementation.

The myDurham 311 project is a Region-wide initiative to use technology to enhance customer service. The goal is to make it easy for customers to connect with Durham Region in the way that works best for them—whether that’s by phone, email, online or in person. Residents can take advantage of the myDurham 311 Smart Home Device Voice Service through Google by saying, “Hey Google, talk to myDurham 311." If using Alexa, they can say, “Alexa, open myDurham 311."

To learn more about myDurham 311 and other innovative projects, visit durham.ca/IntelligentCommunities.

Quotes

“The myDurham 311 voice service makes use of technology that people have at their fingertips to access information about Regional services. It’s an innovative project, and we’re excited to continue our work toward a Durham that is as connected and accessible as possible. We’re delighted to have this work celebrated and recognized by TECHNATION and CIO Awards Canada.”

- Elaine Baxter-Trahair, Durham Region Chief Administrative Officer

“Thank you to TECHNATION and CIO Awards Canada for recognizing the myDurham 311 voice service project. Our team, in Durham Region, has worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. This is just one way we are enhancing the customer service experience through technology. We look forward to building on this success and opening up new ways for residents to connect with us.”

- Kalyan Chakravarthy, Durham Region Chief Information Officer

Quick facts:

• Durham Region announced as finalist for two TECHNATION Ingenious Awards.
• The myDurham 311 Smart Home Device Voice Service has already been recognized as a winner of the 2022 Excellence in Municipal Systems Award by the Municipal Information Systems Association (Ontario) and the CIO Awards Canada 2022 by International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada and CIO.
• Durham Region was the first regional municipality in Canada to bring Regional services to smart home devices.

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For media requests, please contact CorporateCommunications@durham.ca.