Governor Neil Abercrombie is set to sign an open data bill that will make it mandatory for public data to be available online in the state of Hawaii. An online data repository can already be accessed at www.data.hawaii.gov. “Data.Hawaii.Gov is breaking down barriers to information previously locked away in data silos, to deliver a more open and transparent government. We’re empowering our citizens, ourselves and our customers to access information anywhere, at any time—all on an easy-to-use platform residing on a common statewide portal, accessible to everyone”, writes one of the headers at data.hawaii.gov.

As data is becoming an increasingly more important resource for decision making and innovation, many citizens and local entrepreneurs are excited at the opportunity to access the vast quantity of data. “The State is a treasure trove of public data, and with that data more accessible to the public, it becomes a foundational tool for our civic innovators to build upon”, said Burt Lum, the Executive Director of Hawaii Open Data, a charitable organization that focuses on increasing “the adoption of open data/API standards and the development of solutions capitalizing on open data in Hawaii ”.

via opensource.com by Bryan Behrenshausen

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