Philly.com’s Heard in the Hall reports Microsoft Corp. names Philadelphia a Showcase City. I had heard early in the year that Philadelphia wasn’t even on Microsoft’s original short list, so this may be a sign the Philly tech scene is starting to make itself heard.
It’s hard to say if Microsoft’s CityNext program is going to bring any real benefit soon; the city’s previous collaboration with the Redmond software company only really started hitting its stride recently [School of the Future: 10 years after concept]. The press this generates could be more valuable in the long run if it gets other tech companies interested in the city and helps give the local scene some much-needed confidence and solidarity.