On January 22, ICF narrows its 2015 list of 21 really smart communities to a short-list of 7 intelligent ones. Those two words – smart and intelligent – are often confused or often used to mean the same thing. But I think they describe very different realities.

Every Intelligent Community we have seen is a Smart City. That is, it invests in information and communications technology (ICT) to deliver services, monitor operations and rejigger failing systems. That is good news for taxpayers, businesses and institutions.

Free Master Classes in Natchitoches on September 27th and Lafayette on October 11th

New York City – September 3, 2013 – The Intelligent Community Forum has been engaged by the state of Louisiana to support cities, towns and parishes in using broadband technology to deliver economic opportunities that lead to new jobs, investment and sustainable social development. The Forum will conduct a series of two-day Master Classes, followed by community participation in a self-test program and mentoring. The Master Classes are based on best practices honed through the Intelligent Community Forum’s global Intelligent Community Awards Program, and 15 years of identifying and sharing best practices from 119 designated Intelligent Communities.

Stockholm hosts the 21st Annual Global Forum and a theme "Shaping a Digital Future", which is the expertise offered by John Jung and the Intelligent Community Forum

Stockholm, Sweden Global Forum – November 11, 2012 – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) studies the world’s cities to discover and then share the strategies used to create an Intelligent Community able to cope with the connected Broadband economy. Jung will discuss the platforms communities can use to increase innovation and grow their local economy. Jung travels the globe outlining the steps needed to future-proof a community and those steps lead to significant economic benefits. “Innovation is one of the main building blocks for any community that wants to expand its economy and is one of the techniques we have seen used over and over in successful communities around the world,” says Jung.