Pittsburgh Technology Council Launches Online Community

PITTSBURGH, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pittsburgh Technology Council launched a first-of-its kind on-line community for members to share views about business, technology, academia, government and economic development in the greater Pittsburgh region.

Billed as the PTC Insider (http://ptc.civicscience.com), the portal will help users influence the decision-makers that drive the local economy, while at the same time provide fun and informative tools, such as weekly polls, games and interactive forums, for users to see how they compare to peers, friends and policymakers.

The Council formed a partnership with member company CivicScience to build and launch the PTC Insider, which was the first time company applied its technology and platform to a technology trade association, like the Council.

"We are really excited to work with Civic Science on the PTC Insider," said Jonathan Kersting, director of visibility initiatives at the Council. "It was excellent to partner with a member company and be able to showcase some of the region's coolest technology."

"It says a lot about the Pittsburgh Technology Council that they would provide this tool to its members," said John Clifford, CivicScience's vice president of business development. "This community will enable Council members to influence the public dialogue and drive better business and civic leadership. We are thrilled to help facilitate that."

New polls and games are posted on a regular basis and Civic Science's technology ensures that every member of the PTC Insider is completely anonymous.

"The PTC Insider is open to Council members and everyone in the community. It's a lot of fun to participate in the polls and to see how one stacks up to others in the region," said Kersting. "We're asking users to weigh in on a number of topics, like technology trends, public policy issues and rating a top local service provider. The Council also will be able to use poll data to better gauge the needs of Pittsburgh's technology industry and its member companies."

Users signing up to be a PTC Insider will have the opportunity to earn prizes. The first 1,000 members will be eligible to win two Penguins playoff tickets and an iPod Touch. For more information on the PTC Insider (http://ptc.civicscience.com), contact Jonathan Kersting, director of visibility initiatives, Pittsburgh Technology Council, at (412) 918-4295 or at [email protected].

Founded in 1983, the Pittsburgh Technology Council (www.pghtech.org) is the first and the largest regional technology trade association in the United States with more than 1,400 member companies within its geographic territory of 13 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Its mission is to contribute to the success of the region's technology businesses, and it focuses on developing the economic strength of several industry clusters, including advanced manufacturing, life science, information technology, advanced materials, environmental and energy technologies. The Council serves its members through four platforms that include business development, talent acquisition, advocacy, visibility and exposure.

CivicScience (www.civicscience.com) is a software-as-a-service company specializing in polling and data analysis. Through a proprietary polling widget and a high-functionality Web portal, CivicScience delivers effective on-line polling and data analysis solutions to its customers.

SOURCE Pittsburgh Technology Council