Pezinok uses the Simplicity app, too. (source: Matúš Beňo)
An app developed by a firm founded by two Slovaks and used by mayors and officials to communicate with citizens in 150 cities across America has been launched in Pezinok, western Slovakia.
The app, which is used in cities including New York and Chicago, was developed by Juraj Gago and Andrej Krúpa’s firm Simplicity as a means to keep residents updated with important news.
It has won praise from senior public officials, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams who said after Simplicity announced a partnership with the city last October: “New York City is the capital of innovation, and, in partnership with Simplicity, we are bringing our city together like never before and delivering information directly to our city’s residents. This app provides everything New Yorkers and visitors need to receive city updates, emergency information, and more.”
The app has also proved a success in Slovakia since its launch in Pezinok in May.
“Mayors of American cities have been impressed, for example, by the fact that they can conduct quick polls in the app, get direct feedback from residents, and call out misinformation and hoaxes,” Gago told TV Pezinok at the time.
Roman Mács, mayor of Pezinok, said the app had been particularly successful in helping to counter hoaxes.
“More and more often we encounter unverified information on social networks, so it is important to have a communication tool giving people information directly from its source,” said Mács. “Simplicity offers a platform that allows cities to communicate with their residents in an efficient, timely and direct way.”
Pezinok town council, various institutions, private companies, and third sector organisations connected to the app can send users news, event details, and updates.
Simplicity Tech Inc. is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has offices in Chicago and Bratislava.
