We are partnered with content producers the Digital Media Factory.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: We use WAN to push out our content to a local digital signage lab we have created. We are looking to expand this information broadcast system through out the county into local businesses.

Our goal is to connect the community using paperless communication and to inform the community about relative information creatively which requires plenty of bandwidth.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: We would be able to create bigger video and animation files to be pushed out through the larger pipes.

We are helping to create more technology in our public libraries starting with the brand new Scotts Valley library.

We will be installing digital signs as well as a 9 screen video wall. The wall requires large video files and large bandwidth to get the content there.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): I have lived in Santa Cruz my entire life. And currently our goal at the Digital Media Factory & Digital Signage Factory is to create a Media & Entertainment Industry in Santa Cruz, CA.

This takes bandwidth.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Bandwidth. At the rate the internet and media technologies are being produced and distributed we could easily reach capacity if a new technology were to emerge.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: We use social media which is basically run on computers and cell phones. (obviously)

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: People would be able to watch the webinars and videos and not be frustrated with slow connections, etc.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Santa Cruz is a special place. If you have never been told the astrology of Santa Cruz it is quite special. It’s a place to START something new. Look at all the successful companies that have started here.

Dear Google,
look to the STARS and you will see that Santa Cruz is a great choice!

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: For us to be truly connected and a good way is through having a fast internet speed.

leta_passport Photo.jpg (434 KB)

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: Our user community is spread out all over the world. Many are in timezones half way around the world and many of them have home offices and are rarely in a location where they can seek computer help in person. The ability to help users remotely is an integral and vital part of my job. Without robust internet connectivity it makes the job much more difficult and sometimes impossible.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: Helping users at any hour of the day would be a real possibiliy. For people in other countries around the world I could tailor my work schedule to fit their needs. At this point in time, I need to be in my office where I have a better internet connection than I can currently get from home.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Cleaner air, milder climate all help me cope with allergies I suffer from. Telecommuting allows me to stay in a climate that gives me a better quality. Living here also allows me to be part of a lifestyle that is more relaxing. People here are extremely “environmentally conscious” which I am heavily involved in promoting.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: During my tenure at Sony I’ve seen the rise and fall of the “dot.com” era and watched the internet evolve into so much more than I ever imagined it would become. A network of this magnitude would unleash the power of the internet and allow users to experience it in ways still being imagined. Things that were not possible 12 years ago are now attainable.

Santa Cruz is a community that physically cannot grow in a large way. But it can still grow by having the ability to connect with the rest of the world in a way that would be beneficial to everyone. The University of Santa Cruz is located here and has educated some of the finest minds in the country. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some of these people could stay here in our community and still have the impact on society that they are destined for?

I believe Santa Cruz/Capitola would be an ideal location to test this initiative. It is a picturesque little coastal community that is very dependent on tourism for its survival. Like most communities, it is reeling from the economic quandry we find ourselves in. But with tourism down it has lost a significant source of income for local businesses. The city can barely find the resources to fill a pot hole let alone build a network infrastructure of this magnitude.

A network of this order would do so much for this community. People who live here and commute to Silicon Valley everys day would be able to telecommute so much more effectively. Businesses would be encouraged to base their operations here because the lifeline to the rest of the business world would put them on a level playing field with other businesses.

Donna Lewis

Please describe your profession.: I’m a teacher in the Live Oak School District. I am currently piloting a technology program that will be fully implemented next school year. All teachers will be using Promethean Boards as a tech learning tool for all students by next school year.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: Students are utilizing the internet approximately 80% of the school day in my clasroom: Live Oak School District. Teachers are beginning to use Promethean Boards to teach; this requires 100% networked collaboration as well as internet access constantly throughout the school day. Every teacher in the Live Oak School District will have a Promethean Board by next school year. Our goal toward technological literacy for all students would be enhanced by greater bandwidth. It is our hope Google will understand Santa Cruz is a unique and dedicated community, with talented educators who are dedicated to teaching computer literacy. Live Oak School District has the tech tools; we now need greater bandwidth capacity.

Students also have access to computer laptop carts, where each students has a laptop at their desk. They are researching throughout the day and greatly depend on internet access.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: First, please see my answer above.

My work as a teacher would be changed by embracing, engaging, and enabling Generation Z (my students) to learn within the perimeters of their own culture. As teachers, we use the Google search engine consistently throughout the school day. Student created podcasts, movies, and other research projects are the main activity within my classroom (as well as other Live Oak School District classrooms). Additionally, there are several after school tech clubs that would be changed with greater bandwidth capacity. Google would be enabling students in Santa Cruz to fully access technology, as needed for success in their (and our) future. To view student podcasts from my class, please see my work web site.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Santa Cruz has maintained a climate for cutting edge action, environmentally, educationally, and socially. The University of California (as well as Cabrillo) maintains an academic foundation that upholds the threshold driving new research ahead of the game. However, being in the shadows of Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz sometimes is left behind current technological advances. We certainly would fully utilize any technological support we receive; the population is ready for it. In sum, engaged community research and the ability to quickly access the most current information greatly assists my work as an educator.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Santa Cruz would be enhanced and be able to better assist (work in partnership) with Silicon Valley with enhanced networked collaboration.

Given this time of economic crisis, Live Oak School District is taking a stand to buy Promethean Boards for every classroom in the district. This speaks volumes about the dedication Live Oak District of Santa Cruz has toward its citizens, its students, and its overall interest in looking toward the future. People of Santa Cruz work hard at improving their lives; people of Santa Cruz then pass along and share their growth with others. Within the 35 years I’ve lived in Santa Cruz, I’d say “personal improvement” and “sharing resources” is one *trademark* of our community.

Please describe your profession.: I have the fortune to run a software product development firm… everything from Strategy, Product Management, Development, Operations and Product Marketing.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: Internet access is more important than my landline. I spend over 10 hours each day connected to email, the web, a dozen different internet based applications. The speed with which I am able to work effects not only me, but my team and my clients.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: At a business level, video conferencing calls would be more realistic and more aligned with in person meetings. I could imagine real-time collaboration with whiteboarding and prototyping apps.

We have one client that has a serious application for streaming video in a very particularly innovative way – and higher bandwidth would open a fundamentally new market for both commerce and video.

Purely at a personal level, higher bandwidth would increase my productivity significantly. Even with our 6Mb connection, the stuttering delays of page loads or file transfers are disrupting and keep me from being “in the flow.” By the time the page loads, I forgot the reason I went there to begin with… maybe that’s just ADD, but I don’t think so.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): The greatest attributes of Santa Cruz are the environment and the people – the most temperate climate that I have ever lived in and some of the most inspiring people to be around. I’m lucky to be surrounded by compulsively entrepreneurial personalities.

Spending time commuting “the hill” to “the valley” for work seems like such a waste of valuable time. Over the course of the last 25 years, I had spent 8 of it commuting from Santa Cruz to Mountain View or Menlo Park. This is a total of over 200,000 miles… almost the distance to the moon… which for me ended up being over 176 days of driving. Just think of getting those days back – 6 months of creating, collaborating, building something great. Being here working with the same connectivity as being in an office in Mountain View has the potential of at least that reward.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Stability of the business climate… creating jobs, creating products, creating fun.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: I handle a couple of large accounts from home and my activity is based in the UK, Western Europe and the Middle east. Lots of video conferencing on a daily basis. Higher bandwidth would make for reliable connections, a clearer image and clearer speech.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: It would make my life easier if I could have high quality, high bandwidth video conferencing from my home office.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): I NEED to live here, the ocean, the redwoods, organic food my family and friends. Just being here in Santa Cruz is what I love!

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Sustainable development; conscious choices; using technology to create and improve (in some cases) sustainable lifestyles.

Please describe your profession.:
Sheldon Wiseman Commercial Real Estate is a full service commercial real estate firm dedicated to providing unparalleled service to our clients while maintaining the highest ethical and moral standards. We specialize in Tenant and Landlord representation for Office, R&D, Industrial, and Retail, Investment sales and property management of all commercial property types. We are located in Downtown Santa Cruz, California and have worked extensively throughout Santa Cruz County, the Silicon Valley, and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: We rely on the most up to date and fastest technology to keep our business at the forefront of our industry. Our shared network allows everyone in our office to have access to company materials and information. It helps us work together, more effectively on our projects. Also, having centralized documents make it easier to print less, and therefore reducing our waste and costs.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: The greater bandwidth would allow the existing businesses in the area to expand and take advantage of new opportunities. New businesses would choose to invest is Santa Cruz because of the new technology that is exclusive to the city. Santa Cruz would be at the top of the technological headline and companies from all around the world would be exposed to benefits and advantages from locating a business in Santa Cruz. All of this would lead to our success because we succeed and grow with our clients.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): The unique climate in Santa Cruz can be held accountable for relaxed personalities and a generally friendly atmosphere. Santa Cruz is a great place to start a new business as well as expand an existing profitable enterprise. The amenities are accessible as well as close proximity to major highways and cities like San Francisco and the greater San Jose Area.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Santa Cruz is a great place to invest. Our insulated community has large, long lasting economic powers, i.e. UCSC, Plantronics, O’Neills, and Seagate. The weather will always be beautiful and Santa Cruz will always be a international travel destination, a world renowned surf spot, and a powerful economic force that competes in a global marketplace.

Please describe your profession.: I am the organizer for the Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup. We have over 850 technologists as members. Our membership consists of developers, programmers, entrepreneurs, investors, graphic designers, SEO professionals and business managers. We meet monthly and regularly have meetings with 100 to 200 attendees who come to network and see presentations by 4-5 companies. Our meeting are a significant sampling of the pulse of the greater Santa Cruz county tech community.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: Our meetings, of course, depend on broadband connections to showcase the latest companies and technologies, but, more importantly we regularly hear from our members what their needs, frustrations and dreams for the future are. High bandwidth broadband wired and wireless is critical for the Santa Cruz area economic development.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: According to various reports, over 50,000 people commute over highway 17 to work. Many live in rural areas of the county served only by dial-up. Think of the energy and resources that could be saved if this number could be reduced by half.

I am the Director of Channel Sales AsiaPac at SugarCRM, Inc. I communicate with clients everyday throughout Asia and the Pacific. I telecommute 3-4 days a week. I am totally dependent on high bandwidth broadband. This type of connectivity, at reasonable prices need to be available to every household in the county. This type of expansion in our area would magnify employment and business opportunities by many factors.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Santa Cruz offers a magical blend of talented people, an extraordinary climate, fabulous restaurants, entertainment, surfing, great wind for kite surfing and other ocean sports. The area is rich with colleges, universities and has the greatest density of marine science research facilities in the world.

The political atmosphere is progressive and supports green business in tech and media industry.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Green business, technology, and media industry in partnership with education and research.

David Britton

David Britton has enjoyed a career dedicated to building startup companies, managing the development of innovative products in high technology start-ups, consulting to start-up companies, and building non-profit organizations. His forty-year career in building technology organizations has provided him with the expertise to help make the world a better place by organizing startups and mentoring entrepreneurs. He is now leading the Entrepreneur Library Hub Group to help regenerate grass-root economic jobs, civic organizations and sustainable actions in the community.

Britton was CEO founder of four hi-tech companies, (two became public companies). He was the 2006/7 Chair of the Small Business Administration’s ‘SCORE’ Santa Cruz organization and is now a mentor for UCSC & Clean Tech-Silicon Valley. His Silicon Valley startup creations were major innovations: IMI developed the first 8” Winchester Disc Drive. Britton Lee Inc. developed the first back-end, relational database system. He led a team of engineers to develop the second Winchester disc drive and built a factory to manufacture the product for BASF. DIVA developed the first mini-computer, IBM back-end data storage system. (NJ).

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: We will improve lives by mobilizing the mentoring power of Santa Cruz County community Library Mobilization Hubs. The Library hub infrastructure has the basic facilities, services, and installations needed to create sustainable jobs by mobilizing entrepreneurial mentoring services.

However Santa Cruz lacks the Bandwidth to interconnect Library Hubs to business and civic organization for remote mentoring of entrepreneurs.

We seek underutilized learning space in Community Libraries to create ecological-entrepreneur job opportunities. By providing access to entrepreneur mentoring and localizing the innovation process, we can create a better community. We will build communities through growing entrepreneur startups. Entrepreneurs can provide the innovation needed to build clean-technology startup organizations. The opportunity is not to build the rare high-risk scaling organization but to quickly build innovative entrepreneurial startups. Startups will help solve ecological and employment problems that threaten our very existence

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: The Library Hub Group seeks to mobilize the mentoring power of community libraries, which have the facilities and services needed to create sustainable jobs by training new business owners.

Without a high bandwidth pipe into the local Libraries we can only service a small group of entrepreneurs, which limits startups and creates fewer jobs.

Technology bandwidth is to allow remote video presence to educate entrepreneurs. Our letter to the President explains:

Open Letter to President Obama
Use Libraries as Job Incubators
By David Britton and Topsy N. Smalley
02-02-10

Dear President Obama:

A group of citizens, business and entrepreneurial experts, and some librarians have been pitching ideas about organizing and
energizing efforts to help regenerate the American economy. We would like to draw your attention to a grass-roots business
model to create millions of sustainable jobs. We call for fast-track action for jobs, combined with ecological solutions in 2010.

Remembering the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s, we propose a Library Progress Administration (LPA).
The overarching idea is to integrate libraries as the centerpiece of efforts to generate large numbers of low cost and small-scale
entrepreneur businesses. Across America, public libraries offer infrastructure to support mentoring startup entrepreneurs and
existing businesses. The library hub is a civic “change” platform for integrating solutions for jobs and climate change.

Public libraries can focus on an energized connection with their home communities and become central hubs for mobilizing the
mentoring of entrepreneurs, both out of work citizens and college graduates. Public libraries provide open spaces, computers,
wireless environments, print and electronic materials, access to the Internet, public hours, photocopiers, printers, and places to
sit and read and meet with others. Best of all, librarians are trained professionals who can connect people with the information
they need to become entrepreneurs.

The LPA effort would be supported by organizations that are already in the community and are already organized specifically
to educate and mentor entrepreneurs through the business startup process. Specifically the SBA, SCORE and SBDC
organizations are already working to create business and civic jobs. These organizations already provide library workshops.

SCORE has a program with this aim: “To respond proactively and positively to the current economic crisis, SCORE has
challenged itself to achieve a stretch goal of harnessing Americas entrepreneurial spirit to create a million successful small
businesses in the next five years, one business at a time.”

Goldman Sachs has committed 0 million to launch a 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative.

Our Business Model Abstract: We can improve lives by mobilizing the mentoring power by using public libraries to create a
Library Progress Administration. The Library hub infrastructure has the basic facilities, services, and installations needed to
create sustainable jobs by mobilizing entrepreneurial mentoring services. We seek underutilized learning space in community
libraries to create ecological-entrepreneur job opportunities. By providing access to entrepreneur mentoring and by localizing
the innovation process, we can create better communities. We will regenerate our local economy through growing entrepreneur
startups. Entrepreneurs can provide the innovations needed to build clean-technology startup organizations. The opportunity is
not to build the rare high-risk scaling organization but to quickly build innovative entrepreneurial startups. Startups will help
solve ecological and employment problems that threaten our very existence.

There are 435 Congressional districts in the USA. If we begin by funding one of the public libraries in these districts,
specifically for a Library Progress Administration, it would take only 5 million and less than a year to get results. The public
library infrastructure is currently in place. SBA/SCORE needs another million to complete its effort to create 1 million new
businesses. Our local organization needs million to establish our pilot program in Santa Cruz County, California.

Our current goal is to model our pilot business plan in a public library that is being built or refurbished in this area. To bring this
jobs program nationwide we need your help to finance the Library Progress Administration model and quickly support our pilot
program efforts. SBA/SCORE already has its nationwide business plan in-place to create 1,000,000 new businesses and many
more jobs in the next 6 years. Attached is our Library vision video and summary plan.

Mr. President, thank you for you consideration and concern for job creation.

Sincerely,

The Library Hub Group

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Santa Cruz is the center of Silicon Valley on Weekends and for retired CEO’s and entrepreneurs:

Santa Cruz is the Riviera of the United States. One year visits to one amusement park, on the ocean, exceeds 3 millon people. Santa Cruz is now the entrepreneurial leader for living in paradise.

UCSC and Cabrillo College are the best in the world for Science and Clean Tech advancement.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?:

Developing Entrepreneurs

Developing large numbers of low-cost startups

Providing the Library system with technology information power

The Civic/social, Economic and Ecological will all be served by the High Bandwidth connected Library Hubs.

How does your work depend on internet access and networked collaboration?: Being a mail order business internet access is very critical. Without it we would lose probably 80% of our sales which are generated via our website.

How might your work be changed by having much greater bandwidth capacity in Santa Cruz (i.e. increased revenue, customer base, access to talent, etc.)?: Access to affordable truly highspeed internet would allow small businesses like mine to have the advantages of big business. These advantages would be the ability to host web servers in our office affordably instead of using traditional dedicated hosting/collocating for hundreds of dollars a month. We would also be able to realistically consider the ability to allow employees to telecommute. This isn’t really a possibility for us right now because the network requirements for our database and phone system are too demanding for typical dsl/cable internet, especially with the extra overhead of a vpn etc. Highspeed internet at both the business and home would allow us to accomplish this.

What are the attributes of Santa Cruz that support your work and life choices (i.e. lifestyle, climate, business climate, etc.): Santa Cruz is great because there is so much recreation available in the area. From hiking to mountain biking, surfing etc. There is so much available in the immediate area.

What are the most important things that come to mind when you think about the future of Santa Cruz?: Innovation is always key for just about anything you can imagine.