list in the autumn, ICF selects a smaller group of honorees to be its Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year. Each year's Top Seven is announced at the annual conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council in Honolulu, Hawaii, which takes place in January.
Like the Smart 21, this prestigious list may sound like a competitive ranking, but that is not its intent. The Top Seven are chosen, not because they excel in all areas of ICF's Intellligent Community Indicators, but because each demonstrates excellence in at least one. ICF salutes them as pioneers and rol models for the development of vibrant Digital Age communities in the 21st Century.
Some of each year’s Top Seven appeared on the previous year’s list, though this is rare. Just as appearing one year does not mean that a community surpasses all others, so being replaced on the list does not signify failure. ICF purposely introduces new examples each year in order to continually expand the scope of the Top Seven list, and the selection process must inevitably exclude some worthy and exciting examples.
Selection Process
The Top Seven selection is based on research by Evalueserve, India's leading knowledge process outsourcing company, with additional analysis by a team of university researchers. The findings are then reviewed and approved by ICF's management. See the Nominating Criteria page for Award program nomination deadlines, criteria and application forms.
From the finalist communities that appear on the 
