Casablanca launches its Application Platform “CasaStore”
Casablanca continues its digital transformation through the Business Unit, Casa Digital, of Casablanca Prestations, the Local Development Company (LDC) of Casablanca. The LDC was established in December 2014 at the initiative of the territorial collectivities of Casablanca. It was assigned to conduct a study on the implementation of the Blueprint of the Digital Transformation of Grand Casablanca, with input from expert firms. This Blueprint has led to the creation of a portfolio of short-to-medium term project.
CasaStore Platform
CasaStore is the first outcome of the implementation of the Blueprint of the Digital Transformation of Grand Casablanca. It is web-based platform devoted to exhibit web and mobile applications that concern Casablanca city.
This platform, which is the first of its kind in Morocco, is based on a participatory approach, and aims at rendering citizens a key player in the development of their city. Furthermore, Casastore is primarily designed for supporters of new technology, in order to offer applications and innovations that would facilitate the life of people of Casablanca.
Casastore is, however, not restricted to geeks. It is available and free to use by new tech-lovers that could view it as a medium to level-up Casablanca to a smart city. The platform constitutes a sharing and exchange space that brings together developers, new tech-lovers, and the people of Casablanca in general, to exchange opinions and events of public interest.
How does it work ?
The platform CasaStore is accessible to three types of users: visitors, users, and developers.
Visitors are not required to sign-in, which makes the initial access to the pages of the web-based platform available to all internet users. However, the activities that visitors can perform are limited to searching and viewing the content of the proposed applications, reading the blog articles, and accessing the events calendar.
The second type of users, called “CasaStore User”, can, in addition to the above, participate in the activities of the platform and evaluate their content. This profile requires the creation of a “user” account, and one can sign-up by inputting personal information or via social networks like Facebook and Google.
Consequently, users can suggest events related to new technology, provided that they take place in Casablanca. They may also suggest articles related to new technology. Users must write the articles they submit; otherwise they must cite the source/author.
It is noteworthy that the articles and events users suggest are subject to management before their publication. In fact, the moderators of CasaStore systematically control and manage the content of users’ publications, in order to check whether they comply with the terms of use of the platform. At the same time, moderators receive reports of misuse or abuse. Users and Developers can report misuse or abuse in order to engage them in the observance of the ethics and policy of the web platform. Users of CasaStore may also rate or comment on the articles and applications proposed by other users, and share their content on social media.
The third and last type of CasaStore users are developers. A developer enjoys the same activities and rights as « CasaStore User », but they are privileged to suggest new applications and upload them to the platform. This type of users is included to motivate web and mobile applications developers present their “goods” to be downloaded and used by the users and visitors of CasaStore Platform.
The applications uploaded by developers are also managed by moderators, so as to verify whether their content concerns exclusively Casablanca, and whether they are complete and ready for use.
What’s next ?
Accordingly, CasaStore encourages users to interact and engage maximally in the platform activities, by awarding them badges to distinguish highly active from less active users and developers. This would positively affect the quality of services offered by the community of users via the promotion of an ecosystem of positive competitiveness between them.
Thus, CasaStore will strive to impose itself as a rich environment of exchange and sharing. It will contribute to the upgrade, reliability and structuralization of applications and exchange to contribute to the emergence of digital transformation as a major focus of Casablanca.
The goal to be achieved: be a key gateway between the citizens and visitors of Casablanca and the public administration.
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