023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Google Fiber Space in Kansas City, Missouri. 

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023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Kansas City isn’t just experiencing big things this summer...it’s experiencing fast things, too.  This summer, Google opened its very own home in KC and the location quickly became known as Google Fiber Space.  Google Fiber Space is a modern, techy place full of Google Fiber demonstrations, interactive video, hands-on activities and even free food!  It all sounded too good to be true...so we decided to take a look at Google Fiber Space for ourselves. 

Google Fiber Space is decorated with modern pieces
(and perhaps a nod to the Nelson-Atkins Museum?)

And it was better than we imagined.  We even had the opportunity to sit down with Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack and ask her a few questions about Google Fiber’s implementation in Kansas City...and what we can expect next.  We asked Rachel about Google Fiber for business, the ins-and-outs of Google TV, Kansas City as the home of Google Fiber and we even took questions from people on Facebook and Twitter who had interesting questions about the high-speed Internet.  Want to hear what Rachel had to say?  Give episode 23 of Think Big Radio a listen (above).

Let's do this for Think Big! 

To learn more about Google Fiber, visit https://fiber.google.com/about/.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Inside Kansas City’s Google Fiber Space

This past Saturday, I was fortunate enough to tour Kansas City’s newly-established Google Fiber Space. Located at 1814 Westport Road, right in between KC’s Wesport and Plaza areas, the Fiber Space is a ridiculously awesome, nerd drool-educing neat, techy place that allows Kansas Citians to experience Google Fiber before it becomes commercially available.  The space is open to the public by reservation, which can be made here. I highly recommend checking it out.  The technologies on display are remarkable and exciting to say the least. If you can’t make it however, I took plenty of pictures and some video for your enjoyment.  Take a look: 

"Let's do this for..." is the rallying cry to encourage visitors to pre-register.

The stage doubles as a waiting room and event speaker space.

Inside the Fiber Space, glass walls carry the theme of "100 times the..." to get patrons to think of all possibilities. 

Speed test shows just how fast Google Fiber really is.

This small toy car world serves as an analogy to show how the internet has evolved and where it is going. 

(Top) The 2 terabyte storage box. (Bottom Left) The network box that provides fiber to the home. (Bottom Right) The TV box that will provide endless hours of entertainment.

This was the “Nerd Bot” art piece—an ode to Google’s Android platform. 

This live map keeps track of how many people have pre-registerd per Fiberhood.

A fiber space rep shows how you are able to mimic a laptop screen via in-home wireless.

The OnLive cloud gaming system's full potential can finally be exploited finally (thanks to Fiber!).

This cool mosaic is comprised of Chiefs and Royals player cards. 

A display from Sporting KC shows how Kansas City's soccer team will use Fiber when it becomes available.

Nerding out on so much tech can make a person hungry!  Refreshments and treats are provided by Mud Pie Vegan Bakery. 

Watch the video above for even more Fiber sneak peeks!

A Break Down of the Google Fiber Announcement

The announcement Kansas City has been waiting for finally arrived yesterday. Google has answered all of the questions Kansas City has asked for the past year including what Google Fiber is, what comes with the fiber and, perhaps most importantly, when it will be available. 

I’ll apologize for my geekiness now and if it seems like I’m salivating...it’s because I am.  Bring on the fiber!

Let’s start with the most basic question that Kansas City has been asking: What is Google Fiber? Generally speaking, fiber is a 1 gigabyte (1000 megabyte) per second symmetrical connection (which means 1 gigabyte per second upload and download speed). Current broadband speeds average around 5 megabytes per second. That means that a fiber connection is roughly 100 times faster than our current Internet speeds.  Yes, I am drooling. 

What Will Google Say on Thursday?

We are just as excited as the next person about Google Fiber's launch in Kansas City.  And we're even more excited that Google has announced that the launch will happen on Thursday. But is the launch really happening, or should we just expect another ambiguous announcement from the search engine giant?

According to The Kansas City Star, Google plans to fill in some blanks on July 26th.  The video (above), which was released last Wednesday, unveils what might be part of the marketing rhetoric for its coming service: 100 times faster Internet, 100 times the possibilities. 

The video also proclaims that the service "arrives on July 26th."  Will it really?  According to The Star and Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres, "We haven't elaborated on what arriving means." 

So what can we expect on Thursday?  If Google has anything to do with it, we will have to simply wait to find out.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

What is Going on with Google Fiber (For Real)?

As we all know, Kansas City is on a mission to become the most entrepreneurial city in America. Why not start with lightning-fast internet from Google? 1,100 cities in the US applied and Google chose Kansas City to launch Google Fiber! The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City hosted an event (with pizza and beer!), called KC on the Map last night to learn more about what we can expect from Google. Rachel Hack (KC Google rep) and Adam Coomes (Kansas City serial entrepreneur) spent the evening discussing the possibilities of Google Fiber and what it means for KC.

Rachel Hack

Rachel Hack, the force behind Google Fiber in KC, explained Google’s vision for Google Fiber. “We’re supplying the infrastructure,” Rachel stated, “It’s [Kansas City’s] job to run with it”.

Google wants innovation; it’s pushing for it. “We want to inspire the next game changer, like YouTube”, says Rachel.

It has taken some time for Google to build its infrastructure, but Rachel says Google Fiber should be ready for business this summer. The gigabit of internet will start in residential areas and public buildings—like schools and libraries—with a possibility of commercial Google Fiber in the future. Google has had to build its customer service department from the ground up, since it hasn’t had to interact with individual customers in the past. Rachel explains, “This is the first time customers will see the face of Google so we 

want it to be good”.

What do we recommend you do right now, Kansas City?  Be patient. 

Adam Coomes

Adam Coomes is a repeat entrepreneur and now business consultant in the Kansas City area. He is also on the Chamber of Commerce steering committee to make KC the most entrepreneurial city in the US. Adam is excited about the possible innovations Google Fiber will inspire.

Adam’s personal startup, infegy, started in his house.  “We would sit in the living room doing hours of coding,” he explains. Since many startups begin in living rooms or basements, Google Fiber in residential 

areas may actually be necessary.

Adam has some advice for anyone looking to start his or her own business: “You need passion. You can learn the other things, but if you have passion, it won’t feel like work”. He also suggests participating in Startup Weekend or other hackathons in the Midwest. So get out there, entrepreneurs, and help KC with its goal!

Who would’ve thought a faster internet connection could spark so much innovation? Google foresaw this outcome, which is why it picked Kansas City. We are ready for the creativity that will flow from Kansas City with the implementation of fiber. With Google Fiber, KC is one step closer to its entrepreneurial goal—and if it’s on the horizon, we’re excited.  

How Can Something So Small Create Something So Fast? Google Fiber to the Naked Eye

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

On Monday, Google reported that it was installing “thousands of miles of” fiber optic cable for the development of the super-fast Google Fiber network.  Kansas City could not be more excited.

The lines are currently being installed between Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri and will soon branch out to all Kansas City consumers on both sides of the state line.  Once the fiber is live, Kansas Citians will have access to Internet that is 100 times faster than current broadband solutions.

But what does the Google Fiber look like?  According to Kevin Lo, the Google executive heading up the project, each cable contains many thin glass fibers, approximately the width of a human hair.  Google is currently taking these cables and weaving them into a fiber backbone. It’s a new type of high-speed infrastructure that Kansas City is happy to embrace. Google is then installing these cables into the upper portion of a utility pole (a space that would normally be used for electrical lines).  When officially launched, the Google Fiber network will provide speeds of 1 Gbps.

“We’ve measured utility poles; we’ve studied maps and surveyed neighborhoods; we’ve come up with a comprehensive set of detailed engineering plans; and we’ve eaten way too much barbecue,” said Kevin Lo.

Welcome to Kansas City, Google.

Follow GoogleConnectsKC! @GoogleinKC
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Why Did Google Choose Kansas City for Fiber Project?

WRITTEN BY CLAYTON P. BURNETT, GUEST BLOGGER & LIVE BLOGGER FOR THE GIGABIT CHALLENGE FINALE

The wait is nearly over….

Web pages loading, videos downloading, music buffering—it’s all coming to end. 

All coming to an end, thanks to the Google Fiber project implementation in Kansas City.  “Layman’s terms” here, what is the Google Fiber Project and what does it mean for me? Simply put, Google chose Kansas City (don’t ask why...just take it) to deploy the fastest internet speeds in the world.  These speeds will pretty much transform your entire web experience and quite possibly help transform new web technologies for the world! 

So why did this supposed tech titan called “Google” choose Kansas City over the 1,000+ communities that applied for this opportunity?  We’re known for cows and BBQ, and not anything tech related...right?  First off, let’s go with luck.  Google will officially state that Kansas City was chosen because “we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community, and develop working partnerships with the local government, utility and community organizations.”  All well and good, and I buy it to some degree…but I’m thinking that we were awarded this prize because it’s probably a little more cost effective here in the Midwest.

The internet speeds that Google will provide are fast...really fast.  Like, 100 times faster than you probably have in your home right now.  So what is this going to do for you, and how can it “transform” your web experience?  Ultimately, home users can download and watch “cute kitten” videos on YouTube much faster, or stream Netflix in full HD.  “Great…that really transforms my life…thanks Google (heavy sarcasm)!”   While Google does care about your media consumption, there is a bigger picture here.  First; profit.  Businesses are in business to make money, right?  Google will make a few bucks off of this deal in the long run, not based upon providing the actual internet service, but mainly based upon their business model of ad revenue (faster/better internet experience = longer time online = more ad revenues).  Second, Google is a very “forward thinking” enterprise with a number of philanthropic ventures aimed at the “greater good” of the world.  And this venture is partly about innovation.  Kansas City; this isn’t charity to us.  We are just lucky they chose us as the test bed.  Given this opportunity, Google also hopes to spur innovation for new web technologies. Who knows what ideas and/or technologies this network will generate. 

One might think that Google would take a more active role in the development of these ideas and technologies, but alas, it appears that they are simply supplying the network and leaving the rest up to us.  I dig this approach, as it lets us “little guys” in on the action.  I can help make what I want of this project without a big bureaucratic control leading a painstaking process.  So ultimately, the success of this project really depends on the creativity of the Kansas City residents.  Again, Google has given us a “tool”—its potential use and application are up to us.  Kansas City, it’s time to think broad…and BIG!  Sure, this tool may improve our current businesses and home web experience, but the rest of the world (myself included) is looking at this opportunity for us to potentially create entirely new industries and technologies!

“So, uh…if it’s up to me, where do I even begin?”  Thankfully, a few local groups have stepped up to lead Kansas City’s efforts, including the Brainzooming Group, the Social Media Club of Kansas City, Think Big Partners and the Kauffman Foundation.  Under their leadership, we have been given the opportunity to vet our ideas to the world, and even have the chance to win seed/prize money for these ventures.

Kansas City has a infinite number of ways to benefit from this opportunity, so let’s focus on how amazing this opportunity really is.  The Mayor of Kansas City, MO was recently quoted in saying, "As a result of this announcement, we have become the most attractive city on the planet to entrepreneurs."  Yep, that’s right.  Because of this opportunity, Kansas City should see a good influx of tech-savvy businesses enter into our market.  A little bit of a stretch here, but Kansas City has a golden opportunity to become the next Silicon Valley of the world.

Now that I’m done telling you about the who’s, how’s and what’s of this project, I’m going to give you my own personal commentary and plea for ideas.  Kansas City and fellow earthlings, we have the opportunity to truly revolutionize the world.  I know what you’re thinking: Revolutionize the world?  Are you kidding me!?  I am not.  Technology is behind everything we do today. Even your common “ditch digger’s” job is, in some way, impacted by technology.   With this gift from Google, we have the opportunity to develop new ideas and technologies that can truly change and influence the way we do business, interact with media content, exchange ideas, etc., etc., etc.  But it’s up to all of us to come up with these “game changing” ideas.

Many have already been hard at work, developing ideas for how to best utilize this amazing gift from Google.  I’ve read through a number of the early ideas and some have novel merits, but honestly, none have made me stop and say “that’s a game changer.”  I recently read that we are now down to 19 finalists in The Gigabit Challenge, down from the original 113 entrants.  “Wait…did you just say only 113 entrants….are you kidding me….that’s it?”  Yeah, I’m a little perplexed that given this significant opportunity that only 113 people submitted ideas.  We all use the internet every day, we all interact with various mediums of content on a daily basis….are you telling me that we only have 113 people in this world with a semblance of an idea about how we could potentially leverage this great gift?  Honestly, I’m a little vexed by this.  Where’s my idea, you ask?  Oh yeah…forgot to enter I guess.   Ok, I guess there are a few barriers to entry; legal documents, protecting your intellectual property, etc, etc….so I don’t blame everyone for not entering….it probably was a little daunting.

So I want to make it clear, I am NOT discounting or discrediting any of the ideas in the competition, but I’m honestly wondering if we’ll see some truly “wow” ideas after Google Fiber is up and running.  Personally, I’d be a little afraid of vetting my idea in front of the world only to have it potentially stolen by somebody with much deeper pockets than myself.  So maybe I shouldn’t be discouraged by the ideas given so far.  Maybe this is an amazing start…better than we could have hoped for.  Start small, think big…and let that little seed grow.

Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC     #GBFinale

The Gigabit Challenge Announces Speakers: Senator Jerry Moran, Vint Cerf, Sly James, Joe Reardon, Kauffman Foundation

The Gigabit Challenge, a global business plan competition looking for entrepreneurial ideas to disrupt on the Google Fiber network, has announced its lineup of speakers, video presenters and event details for The Gigabit Challenge Finale on January 18, 2012 at the Kansas City Public Library (Country Club Plaza Branch).

The Gigabit Challenge Finale welcome address will begin promptly at 8:00 AM on January 18, 2012 with an introduction from United States Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS).  During the introduction, Moran will discuss the positive impact of Google Fiber, the importance of initiatives such as his Startup Act (announced in December of 2011 with co-sponsor Senator Mark Warner [D-VA]), and the entrepreneurial growth that Kansas City is experiencing.  

The Gigabit Challenge Finale will also feature video presentations from a number of national and local leaders.  Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google and Advisory Board Member for The Gigabit Challenge, will welcome the contestants and discuss the next generations of Internet applications on Google Fiber.  Other video presenters include Mayor Sly James of Missouri, Mayor Joe Reardon of Kansas, Gigabit Challenge organizer Tyler Prochnow, and the Kauffman Foundation via their animated “sketchbook” video declaring Kansas City as the “City of Entrepreneurs”.  

To conclude The Gigabit Challenge Finale, Herb Sih of Think Big Partners will deliver a community address in which he will discuss behind-the-scenes details about Think Big Partners’ decision to host The Gigabit Challenge and exciting future initiatives.  The Gigabit Challenge Finale will close with an awards presentation where winner of the $100,000 Grand Prize, the $250,000 “Born Global” Prize and the People’s Choice Award will be announced.    A detailed schedule for the Finale can be found at http://gigabitchallenge.eventbrite.com/. 

The Gigabit Challenge Finale will stream live on January 18, 2012 from 8:00AM until 5:00PM at http://www.gigabitchallenge.com/live.  A number of live bloggers, social media experts and local and national media outlets will broadcast the Finale activities.  If you are interested in attending and covering The Gigabit Challenge Finale, please contact Allison Way at away@thinkbigpartners.com.

To register to attend The Gigabit Challenge Finale, please visit http://gigabitchallenge.eventbrite.com. 

Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC     #GBFinale

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The Gigabit Challenge Announces Initial Advisory Board Members and Judges

The Gigabit Challenge, a global business plan competition looking for entrepreneurial ideas to disrupt on the Google Fiber network, has announced the initial members of its Advisory Board and Judging Panel. The Advisory Board members will provide their extensive knowledge, expertise, and seasoned experience advising The Gigabit Challenge on how to run the best business plan competition possible. 

The initial Advisory Board members for The Gigabit Challenge are: 

• Erik Brynjolfsson, Professor of Management, MIT & Director, MIT Center for Digital Business
• Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
• Robert Gunderson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Gunderson Dettmer
• Harry Kellogg, Vice Chairman, Silicon Valley Bank 
• Philip Korn, Relationship Manager and Managing Director, First Republic Bank 
• Dan'l Lewin, Corporate Vice President of Strategic and Emerging Business Development, Microsoft
• Robert Marcusse, President & Chief Executive Officer, Kansas City Area Development Council
• Keith Molzer, President & Chief Executive Officer, Balance Innovations 
• Rex Northern, Executive Director, Cleantech Open
• Mark Radcliffe, Partner, DLA Piper 
• Mario Rosati, Managing Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati
• Angela Tower, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers

For more information on the Advisory Board members, please visit http://www.gigabitchallenge.com/about/advisory-board.

Through a graduated process, the judges will evaluate the executive summaries, business plans and investor presentations submitted by contestants and will select the winner of The Gigabit Challenge Grand Prize valued at $100,000. The judges will use a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application called iStart to review, evaluate and vote on the materials submitted by the contestants. The iStart application is provided by the Kauffman Foundation, a Gigabit Challenge partner.

The initial Judging Panel members for The Gigabit Challenge are:

• Jennifer Bailey, Partner, Hovey Williams LLP
• Jeff Barco, Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner, Barco Partners LLC
• Richard Brenner, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Brenner Group 
• Erik Brynjolfsson, Professor of Management, MIT & Director, MIT Center for Digital Business
• Michael Burke, Vice President, King Hershey PC & Co-Chairman of the Bi-State Innovation Committee 
• Steve Fennel, Director of Communications Outreach, KU Medical Center 
• Victor Friedberg, Executive Director, Launch.org
• Michael Gale, Chief Executive Officer, Gramercy Private Equity
• Stuart Gannes, CEO, XVD Technology Holdings & Director of Partnership Projects, O'Reilly Media
• Michael Gelphman, Founder, Kansas City Information Technology Professionals 
• Jonathan Gleason, Director of Business Development, Gunderson Dettmer
• Matt Heinrich, Vice President for Facilities and Technology, Rockhurst University
• David Isenberg, Founder, isen.com LLC
• Philip Korn, Relationship Manager and Managing Director, First Republic Bank
• Greg Kratofil, Shareholder, Polsinelli Shughart
• Thad Langford, Executive in Residence, Openair Equity Partners & President/Chief Executive, Zave Networks (acquired by Google)
• Casey McGlynn, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
• Eric Melin, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Philanthropist.org 
• Bryan Richard, Founder, iCode
• David Silverman, Partner, Crosslink Capital
• Adeline Tang, Director of Business Development, SingTel Idea Factory 
• Angela Tower, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Bud Vick, Owner, Cochran Head Vick & Company
• Radd Way, Executive Vice President, Weitz Construction Company & Advisory Board Member, FiberKC
• Jase Wilson, Principal, Luminopolis & Member, Bi-State Innovation Committee

For more information on the Judging Panel members, please visit http://www.gigabitchallenge.com/about/judges. 

"We are extremely honored to have such accomplished people involved as advisors and judges for The Gigabit Challenge," said Tyler Prochnow, co-founder of Think Big Partners, host of The Gigabit Challenge. "The participation of these high-quality professionals will assure that The Gigabit Challenge will be a great success. We look forward to adding more people to these groups over the coming weeks."

The Gigabit Challenge is actively seeking additional partners. If you are interested in discussing this opportunity, or have questions regarding entering the competition, please visit www.gigabitchallenge.com or contact Think Big Partners at 816-842.5244.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

World Fans Rejoice! Panofan Tags You During Your Favorite Fan Moments

bizperc tenants debut Panofan, a technology that allows fans to share their favorite moments with friends and families.  

One of the most popular uses of Facebook is photo tagging.  People of all ages love to upload their pictures to Facebook, create photo albums, and tag their friends and family members (and quite recently, tag the location where the photo was taken, also known as location tagging.).  Facebook photo albums take the idea of social sharing to a whole new level, and everyone seems to get sucked in.

But not even Facebook pictures can capture the moments that we wish we could go back to; the big football game, our favorite rock concert, that incredible music festival.  No matter how many pictures we take and upload during these events, we will never be able to capture the entire essence of the experience; the amount of fans, the energy in the stadiums, what the venue looked like on that day.  But now, it's possible.

Cue Panofan.

Panofan, created by bizperc tenants Shannon Schlappi, David Snodgrass (Locker Partner) and Clayton Snodgrass as well as Carnegie Mellon University, is a state-of-the-art technology that creates a world fan experience that lives on well after the event of the photo has passed.  Panofan allows fans to share special moments with friends and family and capture those moments forever.  Panofan utilizes developments from the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group and support from Google in order to produce detailed panoramic pictures and take social photo tagging and sharing to the next level.

How does Panofan work?

1.  Panofan takes a panoramic 360 degree picture of the entire stadium or venue.
You can view your 360 degree picture on Panofan.com.  

2.  Zoom in and find the section that you and your friends/family were located.

3.  Zoom in even further and tag yourself and your friends!

4. The final result! Zoom back out and see others that have been tagged.

The Kansas City Chiefs were the first sports team to try out the Panofan technology.  You can view the demo here and see the new development for yourself.

Panofan uses panoramic-gigapixel technology that produces incredible detail.  The detail is so precise that you can see your best friend eating a hot dog, the logo on the man's hat sitting behind you, the child's exact facial expression on your left.  What will you be doing when the Panofan camera flashes?  Just make sure you're in your seat and not in line at the concession stand.  This is an incredible opportunity that you will want to be a part of!  Rejoice, world fans.  Panofan is here.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The Gigabit Challenge Announces Screampoint as First Platform Partner

The GigabitChallenge, a global business plan competition looking for entrepreneurial ideas to disrupt on the Google Fiber network, has welcomed Screampoint as its first Platform Partner. Screampoint is a global leader in providing 5D SMART™ technology solutions that allow government officials, master developers and corporate leaders to access multi-departmental real-time city and building data through the unique interface of a 3D visual model of a city.  As an important new tool in the real estate technology and Smart City sector, Screampoint’s 5D SMART™ technologies will change the way the built environment and the smart cities of the future will be designed, built, monitored and managed. 

As part of the Platform Partner package, Screampoint will allow third-party developers that are finalists in The Gigabit Challenge to utilize the Screampoint 5D SMART™ platform to build applications for free for a period of one year starting in Q1 2012.  This is the same quarter in which Google will begin to deploy the first-in-the-nation one-gigabit Google Fiber network in Kansas City. 

“We are very excited to have Screampoint on board as the founding Platform Partner,” said Tyler Prochnow, co-founder of Think Big Partners, host of The Gigabit Challenge.  “The company’s next-generation 5D SMART™ technology will spawn a whole new genre of applications, including those that will power smart cities, that are ideally suited to run on the Google Fiber network.”

Screampoint is active in countries around the globe and assembles technology companies, building systems management companies, and AEC firms to bring 5D SMART solutions to cities and building owners.

The Gigabit Challenge invites other major platform providers such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle and Salesforce to join startup Screampoint in working with The Gigabit Challenge as a Platform Partners.  The Challenge is calling on these innovators to let their developer communities know about this opportunity and encourage them to compete for the $100,000 Grand Prize. 

The first round of The Gigabit Challenge opened on October 3, 2011 and will close at midnight on October 31, 2011.  Finalists will be announced in November and a final pitch with an awards ceremony will be held in Kansas City on January 18, 2012.  View the complete schedule.  For questions concerning applications, partnerships, or judging opportunities, please visit www.gigabitchallenge.com or call (816) 842-5244.  

Take me to the press release.

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for Kansas City (And 5 It Can Do for the World)

A lot of excitement has been building up around the implementation of Google Fiber in Kansas City.  Organizations such as FiberKC.biz are being developed, discussions on sites such as KCMOmentum and Facebook are exploding, and challenges and competitions such as the Gigabit Challenge are formulating in anticipation of Google Fiber.  But when it all comes down to it, what is Google Fiber really doing for Kansas City?  And even more importantly, what is Google Fiber doing for the world? 

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for Kansas City:

1.  Assist Startups and Entrepreneurs

As one of the most well-known blogs in the Kansas City entrepreneurial spectrum, we cannot help but note first and foremost that Kansas City’s entrepreneurs and startup companies will benefit greatly from the implementation of Google Fiber.  Google is extremely interested in seeing what developers and entrepreneurs will create with ultra high-speeds; new apps, online businesses and other startups that we cannot even imagine yet are expected to explode in and around Kansas City. 

2.  Bring Big Business to Kansas City

Although Google Fiber is expected to bring in a plethora of new ideas, the initiative is also predicted to bring big business to Kansas City.  Already-established Kansas City businesses like Cerner and Garmin will flourish with the high-speeds provided by Google Fiber.  We are excited to see what other big businesses will decide to move or open in Kansas City in order to benefit from it as well. 

3.  Improve Home Networks

According to CBS, Kansas City is not the only place to receive Google Fiber.  Kansas City is just part of the experiment involving as many as half a million homes to improve ways to build a stronger network.   

4.  Create More Jobs

It’s obvious that Google Fiber will create more jobs in and around Kansas City.  But it’s not just the installation and maintenance of the fiber that will require more jobs (In fact, it has been noted that Google will bring in crews the company has used for other infrastructure builds instead.  Read more...).  But Google Fiber may create jobs in the online gaming, telecommunications, healthcare, and app development worlds just to name a few.  Plus, with the creation of more startups in Kansas City, more companies will be needing more assistance. 

5.  Put Kansas City on the IT map

A few months ago, The Wall Street Journal recognized Kansas City as an upcoming hub for information technology.  The city is booming with entrepreneurs, small business and technology.  In fact, in a study found by the TechAmerica Foundation, the number of Kansas City tech companies rose by 5% in 2009, trumping the growth rates of Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin. 

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for the World:

1.   Provide Faster Internet

Did you know that Comcast’s current cable service has an average speed of 13Mbps?  This is about 1/20^th of the speed that Google Fiber will provide.  Google Fiber will be the fastest Internet speed in the world and therefore, save people a significant amount of time.  Imagine downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in under 5 minutes, watching a live 3D video of a university lecture, or sending an extremely large document across the world via email in a matter of seconds.  Google Fiber will make it possible. 

2.  Improve Education

When I attended Building the Gigabit City last week, much of the event focused on the benefits that the education sector would have by using the Google Fiber network.  The ideas that accumulated were numerous.  Students will have the chance to improve their learning capabilities by taking online classes, tuning into virtual 3D lectures from across the world, or downloading study applications in seconds.  Education is bound to improve with the implementation of Google Fiber—we are anxious to see how. 

3.  Generate New Deployment Techniques

Google’s Fiber website states that its goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone.  That goal includes the implementation of new deployment techniques within the company.  Google is planning to test new ways to build fiber networks and seeks to inform and support deployments elsewhere.  In addition, Google will share key lessons that they learned throughout the world. 

4.  Create Next-Generation Apps

The world has become flooded with apps.  This leaves us thinking "what’s next?"  Google Fiber hopes to help answer that very question.  The world will begin to have access to next-generation apps and developers will have the chance to use ultra high-speeds for their latest creations; from creating bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services to other uses we can’t yet imagine. 

5.  Transform Business

Because Google Fiber will operate an “open access” network, users will be given the choice of multiple service providers.  That means that any business can transform the way that it operates without having to switch service providers.  This ease-of-use will allow businesses to change the way that they do business and make their inner-workings faster, better and stronger.  Google provides a great example at the top of its Project Overview page: “Imagine sitting in a rural health clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web, and discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York.”  That’s thinking big...with a gig. 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

Make the Most Out of Building the Gigabit City

Building the Gigabit City, a brainstorming event hosted by the Social Media Club of Kansas City and the Brainzooming Group, is inviting members of the local business, arts, technology and education communities to come together under one roof and determine how to effectively use the Google fiber network.  The event aims to present new ideas for how Google Fiber can benefit all corners of the city - from schools and libraries to hospitals, transit systems, entertainment options and beyond.  The evening event, where the public can see what ideas the brainstorming sessions unveiled, will take place on Monday, October 3rd at 6:30pm (just in time for the rollout of the Gigabit Challenge applications!).

But how can those who are attending the brainstorming portion of Building the Gigabit City make the most of their creative experience?  The Brainzooming Group has provided the Top 10 ways to "brainzoom" your way to a good idea, no matter what you may be brainstorming about.  Use these quick tips from Brainzooming to burst through your creative roadblock:

1.  Show up with an open mind and willingness to share your ideas - any and all of them!
2.  Imagine.  When it comes to generating ideas, it's all about imagining the possibilities.
3.  Be a cheerleader.  You make other people more creative just by cheering them on.
4.  Look for the potential of an idea.  If you have a "why something won't work" statement, you also need a "how it CAN work" statement.
5.  Build off of other's ideas.  Brainzooming is a team sport.
6.  Combine ideas or elements of ideas.  Real innovation typically stems from multiple ideas.
7.  Consider the idea from different angles. 
8.  Recognize that some ideas will take root faster. 
9.  Use those sticky notes!  It will be our most useful tool for capturing and organizing all of our ideas throughout the day.
10.  What else?  It is the most important question of hte day.  Keep it in the back of your mind to expand your thinking and the thinking of others in your group.

Looking forward to a dynamite event at the Kansas City Public Library on Monday! RSVP now!

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Gigabit Speeds from Kansas City to Silicon Valley

As our co-founder Herb Sih was making his way around Silicon Valley this past week, he decided to stop in a small cafe on the Stanford Campus to attend to a few thousand emails. 

After working for a few hours, he couldn't help but wonder how Google's one-gigabit fiber network could impact a small place like The Cafe in Silicon Valley.  Faster internet speeds provide more capabilities and could offer even greater opportunities for those working in a small cafe just like this one. 

Google's fiber network has the capability to impact many new businesses and tech startups, but it also has the ability to support schools, local organizations and even small cafes like the one displayed above.

Want to jump on the Google fiber bandwagon?  We have the opportunity for you.  Think Big Partners has opened up the Gigabit Challenge - a business plan competition looking for a new, disruptive idea to work on the Google Fiber network.  Think you've got what it takes?  Check out the Gigabit Challenge website to learn more.  Applications and more details will go live on the site on October 3rd.  Also, be sure to follow The Gigabit Challenge at @GBChallengeKC.  Stay tuned!

Google seems to be capable of anything.  What do you think it can do?

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Recognized as Innovation and Technology Hub

It's no secret that Kansas City is experiencing a tech boom.  With the announcement of the Google Fiber implementation as well as many other startup and technological initiatives, there is something special going on in Kansas City.  It's something...well...big.
How big?  Why don't we take a look at some of the recognition that Kansas City has received in the past year alone:

-  Kansas City was declared "where the action" is by the Wall Street Journal back in August.  The WSJ announced KC as a city that lures entrepreneurs and trumps other cities in the information technology industry.  In fact, the number of KC tech companies rose by 5% in 2009, outnumbering the growth rates of hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin.

-  Back in May, Kansas City was also announced as a top market for IT talent by site-selection advisory form KLG Advisors.  The city ranked "very strong" for concentration of IT talent and growth of the IT labor force.

-  Shortly after the KLG recognition, Kansas City was named an information technology hub by Wired Magazine and was recognized for adding thousands of jobs in the infotech industry between 2003 and 2008. 

-  Entrepreneurs Unpluggd then named Kansas City, Missouri one of the four entrepreneurial cities to keep your eye on, mentioning startup initiatives such as Think Big Kansas City, Zaarly, KCSourceLink and Kansas City IT Professionals. 

-  Kansas City was named one of the highest Android App Producing Cities (per square mile) in the U.S. by AppsGeyser in August of 2011.

-  TechAmerica ranked Kansas City the 8th city in the U.S. for telecommunications employment and proclaimed KC to have a higher growth rate for infotech businesses than Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin. 

-  Kansas City ranks among the top 10 "clean-tech" metro areas according to the USA Today. 

-  Even back in December of 2010, Kansas City was named one of the fastest growing startup cities in the world by Startup Digest. 

The recent spur of innovation and technology in KC is allowing the city to become the place for entrepreneurs and startups.  As a business incubator and startup accelerator in the Kansas City region, we see KC as a booming place not just for technology and entrepreneurship, but for job growth and opportunity.  It all starts with Thinking Big (and now, with a gig!).

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig