News
Important news about this region’s economic development and topics of relevance to us nationally and internationally, culled from our members and from a number of sources:
- Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:23:29 +0000: Panel focuses on Wilmington port's future - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:32:13 +0000: Alganomics installs solar electric system, hybrid windmills - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:15:39 +0000: And the most in-demand tech skills of 2012 are … - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
One way to find out what skills will be in highest demand this year is to look at job posts.I decided to analyze recent Craigslist San Francisco Bay Area job ads. It’s a good proxy for the local demand. The Bay Area is often a trend setter, and technologies that become popular here frequently gain broader adoption. So the findings can also be viewed as a leading indicator for other geographies.
Here are the key insights:
- “Mobile” appears in 30% of all ads, winning the popularity (or hype?) contest.
- Java continues to lead the pack among the development languages, followed by Ruby, Python, and PHP.
- MySQL is by far the most commonly mentioned relational database.
- NoSQL is featured prominently. Hadoop is first on the list of NoSQL databases, followed by Cassandra, Redis, and MongoDB.
- Linux has little contest among the operating systems. Ubuntu is mentioned more frequently than CentOS.
- Android is mentioned slightly more often than iOS/iPhone.
- jQuery is the most commonly mentioned JavaScript framework.
- Spring continues to be the most commonly mentioned Java framework.
- Git outranks subversion among the source code management systems.
- Selenium is the most frequently mentioned testing tool.
- Drupal is the most frequently mentioned CMS tool.
I ran similar analysis a year ago. For the most part, the results were similar. But a few differences are worth noting:
- Demand for mobile skills is accelerating. “Mobile” and “social” had similar mention frequency last year. This year “mobile” mentions are far ahead of “social”.
- NoSQL skills requests increased significantly.
- PHP mentions went down, Ruby went up.
- Git overtook subversion.
- Flash/ActionScript mentions went down.
The full top 50 list of tech skills most commonly featured in Craigslist posts follows. The counts reflect the number of posts a term appears in. Multiple mentions of the same term in a single post count as one. Counts reflect listings in the SF Bay Area Internet Engineering category between Jan. 1 and 31, 2012.
Bob Tekiela is a cofounder and CTO of 500friends, a San Francisco-based startup backed by Y Combinator. 500friends developed a social loyalty platform for retailers. Bob also writes a blog called CTO Insights.
Filed under: dev, mobile
- Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:25:50 +0000: List of “Experts” for the Feb 21st Going Global Event - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
The following is a partial list of the fifteen plus global business “experts” who will be on hand at the Going Global Event on February 21st at 5:30pm to meet with area entrepreneurs and small business owners in one-one-one sessions…
- Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:29:02 +0000: Brunswick officials urged on incentives - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:43:08 +0000: 4 new members join Cameron board - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:16:13 +0000: Commission wants to study sea-level rise policy - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:06:39 +0000: Perdue tours CFCC's surgical technology program - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:21:14 +0000: Rocket Pitch Event – Save the Date – April 18th, 6pm - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
Please mark your calendars for the next Rocket Pitch Event on April 18th at 6pm. It will take place in the Burney Center on the campus of UNCW. The Rocket Pitch will feature five high-growth startup companies and entrepreneurs from…
- Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:36:55 +0000: UNCW Entrepreneurship Center Becomes FastTrac Certified - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
UNCW Entrepreneurship Center director, Jonathan Rowe, took part in a Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation program in Kansas City that certifies Entrepreneurship Center’s as FastTrac Certified (TM). This certification validates the UNCW EC as having a mission and measurable results that…
- Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:27:29 +0000: Nation's first super Wi-Fi launched in New Hanover County - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:50:23 +0000: America's transport infrastructure: Life in the slow lane | The Economist - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:30 +0000: Nation’s first Super Wi-Fi network arrives - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
New Hanover County in North Carolina on Thursday became the first county in the United States to deploy a Super Wi-Fi network, but the real question is will it also be the last? The technology, which uses the unlicensed spectrum between the digital TV broadcasting airwaves to deliver a wireless broadband signal, is not as healthy as the pomp and circumstance surrounding the launch may indicate. And as of now it’s fate as a mainstream technology is in doubt.Super Wi-Fi would allow for broadband service to be delivered over the air like Wi-Fi is, but over a much farther range. So with a connection back to a cable, DSL or a fiber line, Super Wi-Fi can be used to create a Wi-Fi-like network that offers a range of up to 100 kilometers. However, the current spectrum bill wending its way through Congress makes delivering Wi-Fi in the digital TV spectrum an iffy proposition, and the tech firms that so ardently supported the technology have fallen silent on the importance of using this spectrum for unlicensed broadband. The spectrum bill, that is part of an effort to take some of the digital TV airwaves away for cellular use, will make it hard for crowded urban markets to find enough channels to deliver plentiful Super Wi-Fi service.
One might not think this is a big issue since urban areas typically have other wireless options in the form of cellular and plentiful Wi-Fi, whereas rural areas could really benefit from a long-range wireless service. But, in the electronics world getting more customers is essential for lowering the costs of the technology. In short, building network equipment and radios for 3 million end consumers in 100-odd towns is going to be more expensive on a per-person basis than if it were deployed among New York’s 8 million+ residents.
One bonus though for rural dwellers and other white spaces proponents is that England is also deploying the technology, creating what may be a larger market. In previous interviews with Carlson Wireless CEO Jim Carlson, which makes radios for white spaces devices, he’s told me that he thought the gear to create whites spaces networks would be in the $400 per subscriber range in 2012 and it would drop to about $200 as the technology gained adoption. But it’s unclear exactly how far the technology must spread to see those rates drop. He sees the rural market as being important, but is also betting that the oil and gas markets and other industries that have to provide service in remote areas might also shell out for Super Wi-Fi.
In the meantime, the U.S. will have to keep an eye on Wilmington, N.C and other test networks, such as the one operated by Rice University in Houston.
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.- The future of Wi-Fi in the enterprise
- U.S. Wireless Data Market: Q4 and Year-End 2008
- Connected world: the consumer technology revolution
- Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:04:09 +0000: UNCW Alumni Entrepreneur Launches CloudWyze - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
Formally launched on January 25, 2012 CloudWyze, Inc. is a cloud-based information technology services company, which include networked Internet, telephone and data functions for commercial and residential customers. According to Shaun Olsen, company CEO and president,
- Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:30:18 +0000: Ten 2012 Trends That Will Affect Planning and Economic Development by Chuck Eckenstahler - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
[ Chuck Eckenstahler, semi-retired in 2008 from a 35-year career as an active full-time municipal planner, economic developer and real estate consultant, sent me an email with some thoughts in response to my post about Detroit building its way back to prosperity. This led me to his blog and the post below with some thoughts about the trends that will drive planning and economic development in 2012. He graciously gave me permission to repost it here - Aaron. ]
Last December I posted 25 Future Trends That Will Impact Economic Development. This was my attempt to identify key trends that would shape the daily concerns of planners and economic developers in 2011.
With the help of my colleague Craig Hullinger, we circulated the “write-up” to a wide audience of active and retired planners, economic development practitioners, city managers and academics.
We got a lot of feedback that began conversations leading to the conclusion that job creation and household wealth would be the major “drivers” of government inspired planning and economic development in 2011.
I believe the wisdom of these folks were correct and as we close out 2011 the need for job growth and increasing household income remain a top priority for the successful future economic revitalization of the global, national and local economies.
Below are my thoughts on the leading trends that will impact planning and economic developers in 2012.
1. Land Use Plans to focus on abandoned land and buildings not “greenfields”.
With the change in consumer spending patterns – reduced disposable income and increased reliance on internet purchases – plus the backlog of vacant home and commercial properties in (or soon will be) subject to foreclosure, there will be a reduce demand for new construction directing planners and economic development attention on reuse of buildings. It’s the same for vacant building sites currently serviced by municipal infrastructure.
The notion of incentivizing new development will be discouraged in favor of planning and economic development strategies that focus on reuse and redeployment of vacant land and buildings.
2. Financial support for planning to be reduced.
Federal and State budget reductions are inevitable. With planning and economic development activities being discretionary “non-mandated” government activities, planning and economic development program support will be targeted for budget reduction, probably to a greater extend than mandated government programs.
Planners and economic developers will be asked to “do more with less” and to seek non-governmental funding support from private contributions, foundations and fees for services provided. The planner and economic developer job description will now include a new component titled “fund raising”.
3. Economic feasibility will be required of all new initiatives.
Since the early 1970’s with Florida’s comprehensive state/local growth management act, planners were expected to include a degree of economic feasibility into the planning process, especially when implementation of plans included reliance upon federal and state funding sources. However, rarely has economic feasibility or benefit/cost analysis been applied consistently and in non-technical easily understood meaningful ways.
With heightened demand for sparse governmental funds, plans and economic development strategies requiring funding commitments, especially those by local governments, will be subject to intense scrutiny and most likely only funded upon sound economic benefit/cost analysis.
The era of planning and economic development strategies that “sound good” but rely upon undocumented funding sources is unacceptable today to citizens and elected officials alike.
Planners and economic developers will be expected to fully justify funding requests by easily communicated economic analyses relying on projected benefits for use of government funds.
4. Job creation “tops” all other concerns.
Gallup pollster Jim Clifton (see The Coming Jobs War) calculates that global unemployment is over 50% and globally there is a 1.8 billion job shortfall. He opines that jobs……jobs……and jobs will be the most important government mission in the future.
He further opines the US must have a 7% GDP growth rate to retain its global presence and decrease US unemployment; almost doubling the most generous US GDP growth rate being discussed in the media today.
For planners and economic developers, this is unhappy news drawing attention to heightened future demand for state and local action to create jobs.
For planners and economic developers, the increased global competition for jobs, pulse a likely anemic US GDP growth rate in 2012 will create intense pressure for programs and action that create new jobs.
5. Service area geographic sizing to become the major planning criteria.
In the Midwest, our local government geographic sizing was created by the Northwest treaties in the late 1800’s when the principal means of communication was a horseback ride to personally speak with someone. With internet and wireless communications today, we almost instantaneously communicate “with anyone – anywhere”. We have the ability to instantaneously bundle-up work assignments and ship them anywhere around the world to be completed and returned.
However, many government services remain modeled on the notion they must be provided on the basis of “a one-day horse ride” from home.
While all states allow governments to share services and even consolidate for greater financial efficiencies, it’s a rare occurrence.
Historic political isolationism based on the loss of political control permeates the inability to explore changes to service area geography that may reduce financial operating costs for services provided.
As governmental revenues become more strained and where taxpayers will not increase government revenue, planners and economic developers will be called upon to engage in municipal service consolidation conversations to exact efficiencies that stabilize or reduce government service costs.
6. Utility maintenance “trumps” new expansions.
While at the state and national level we call for more infrastructure funding for “big project” roads and bridges, back home at the local level most communities maintain underutilized water, sewer, storm drain and subdivision streets built with the notion that new development, most often new residential home owners, would pay user fees and local taxes to operate and maintain the local infrastructure.
In the absence of new construction requiring new utility connections plus the abundance of demolitions of no-longer needed homes and commercial buildings, in some communities the actual number of utility “paying” connections is being reduced or “at best” remaining stable. Most utilities were originally sized to service more users anticipated by 10-20 years of future growth but in actuality, now and maybe for considerable time into the future, will remain underutilized.
The cost of operations and long-term maintenance in almost all cases was based on revenues obtained from anticipated future new connections. With operation and maintenance cost increasing and revenue possibly decreasing, or at best stable, local government budgets in the future will focus on maintenance of the existing infrastructure rather than funding new expansion.
Planners and economic developers will be pressured by budget constraints to seek development projects that increase the number of utility connections allowing the amortization of operation and maintenance cost over a larger number of utility bill payers.
7. Tax payers demanded greater efficiencies to guide new growth.
I think everyone will agree that tax payers are overwhelmingly against tax increases and expect greater efficiencies from government to “hold the line” on cost increases resulting in the need for additional tax revenue.
With this in mind, it will be more difficult to undertake new programs requiring additional tax revenue from tax payers. Likewise, tax abatements or deferral of tax revenues as economic development incentives will also be subject to questioning and higher degree scrutiny.
Planners and economic developers will be discouraged from advocating projects that require forgiveness of tax revenues and encouraged to seek projects that have short-termed positive tax revenue income, especially for local governments that rely upon real estate taxes and/or local captured sales taxes to fund local government operations.
8. Federal and State paralysis over local funding freezes local government decision making.
The “we can’t do that now, because we don’t know what’s going to happen” governmental decision making paralysis will continue into 2012. Government funding uncertainty, due to uncertain federal, state budgets, coupled with uncertainty about local real estate and sales tax revenue has already become the mantra of government decision making today.
Many economists forecast several more years of this uncertainty, making the budget making job most difficult for elected officials. This uncertainty already results in postponement and cancellation of projects that in “better times” would contribute to an economic development stimulus to the local economy.
Recognizing that uncertainty will continue into 2012, planners and economic developers will find slim support for projects that require funding beyond approved budgets and greater pressure from elected and appointed officials to seek external project funding sources.
9. Local municipal insolvency and bankruptcy strikes fear deciding long-term funding.
Over the past 3-years there have been 49 municipal bankruptcies, according to the nationally leading municipal bankruptcy law firm of Chapman & Cutler. The most publicized being Jefferson County Alabama’s $3 billion revenue bond sewer fund driven bankruptcy – the largest in history. Media reports predict the potential for other bankruptcies is having a major impact on the $2.9 trillion municipal bond investment market, where 2/3 are revenue bonds – those viewed as “safe investments” by investors because they are “backed” by a utility revenue stream that is likely to continue even in the worst of economic times.
With questions about the future of federal, state and local revenues, today most government officials are a bit leery of committing to long-term projects, especially those that commingle sources of funds from multiple government programs and revenue sources based on new growth.
In 2012, planners and economic developers will be saddled with questions about municipal solvency both in efforts to package financing for necessary municipal infrastructure investments and to assure new businesses desiring to locate that the community is solvent and resistant to “surprise” tax increases that might occur due to unrecognized financial needs.
10. Municipal financing will become more expensive cancelling certain projects.
Because of government bankruptcy, unfunded state and local government obligations, reduced federal/state/local revenue, non-expendable operating budgets, and increased operating expenses, investors are looking at municipal financing risk a bit differently today and will continue to do so in the future. Where real or perceived investment risk increases so does the price, the amount of interest government must pay. Even purchasing insurance that guarantees payment in case of default gives little comfort to the investor, as leading insurers are being called into question about their ability to fund required payments in case of an economic crisis of substantial proportion.
All in all, this new uncertainty means that cost to borrow funds by states and local governments will be more closely evaluated and cost more.
For the planner and economic developer in 2012, the ability of governments, especially local governments to raise capital for projects will be more difficult and lessen the aggressiveness towards undertaking long-term financed projects.
Last Thoughts
As we closeout 2011, we give thanks – thanks that we made it through. It was a difficult year where many economic changes reshaped the role planners and economic developers play at the federal, state and local government levels.
The “crystal ball” today is no different….cloudy at best!
Again in 2012, the economy and jobs will be subject of every conversation.
Being an election year it will be on every newscast.
Our challenges as planners and economic developers focus on shaping the future.
Our charge today is – What can we do in 2012, with the resources at hand to invest in the future?
This post originally appeared in Chuck Eckenstahler’s Blog on December 4, 2011.
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- Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:10:00 +0000: EC and Do Good Real Estate Sponsoring $1,000 Internship Contest - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
DO GOOD Real Estate Co. is looking for a few AWESOMELY, Creative, Enthusiastic, and Like-minded Marketing, Design & PR interns that want to be a part of something that matters. We are a growing grassroots company with a mission to…
- Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:42:11 +0000: AAIPharma to build lab, technology center - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:25:26 +0000: Convention center LEED certified - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
- Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:39:15 +0000: Happy Holidays from the UNCW Entrepreneurship Center - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
The EC would like to thank everyone for another successful year with great events, programs, and opportunities. The EC hosted over 15 events attended by almost 2,000 people along with other projects such as the Envision TV show, summer entrepreneurship…
- Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:07:08 +0000: Inventor gives Cape Fear students real-world lessons - Cape Fear Economic Development Council (CFEDC) News
