The Stoke SuperApp
So folks familiar with our model of community-led regeneration will appreciate that we’ve created both “The Stoke Model” and “The Stoke Pound” as the two branded vehicles that will give life to our work.
Today’s blog is another out-there idea that needs articulating simply because it will give our partners an idea of what’s on our business road map.
So, the Stoke SuperApp, what is it?
It’s an app on your mobile that serves as a kind of concierge — making your life easier and more manageable. “Manage my money” or, “manage my health”. Think of one app that handles your lifestyle — your payments, rewards, messages, travel and exercise. It puts you in control and your data at the heart of a system that revolves around you and your personalised needs.
It’s basically a giant Tesco Clubcard system but one that’s co-owned by you and the other owners of the #bekind Community Benefit Society (which trades as “The Stoke Model”).
All organisations on the system are given permission, by you, to access your data. No more form filling. No more dicking about listening to automated messages (“your call is very important to us”).
The organisations are there to serve you because that’s the way the system is designed, not the other way around.
The US is trying to pull something similar off. But who trusts Silicon Valley and their model of surveillance capitalism?
The UK government tried to do it in Manchester with their identity card. But who trusts them?
It’s time to take back our data, by creating a Data Economic Zone right across North Staffordshire. Our data, owned by us. Managed by us as an asset for the purposes of performance.
A bridge between its citizens and organisations, creating a new citizen-centric data sharing infrastructure that you — its owner — are in control of. Security and privacy baked in. Powering better private and public sector services. Identifying and protecting the vulnerable, while powering economic growth at the expense of the Silicon Valley business model.
In Stoke? Can you believe it?
— Mike