Laila Alequresh, a former official in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, will work on ways to improve the city through technology and new ideas, while also serving as a consultant to other city leaders.

The city government is expanding its technology office with a role to "foster an improved culture of innovation, accessibility, efficiency and accountability."

Researchers in Oklahoma City will spend five years studying how a specialized mobile app can influence behavior among one of society's most challenged groups.

The telecom giant is planning to deploy technology in Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas to make those cities smarter.

As exposure to private sector technologies grows, citizens expect more digital services from government, but aren't always aware some of those services already exist.