Calculating the Hidden Cost of Gearing Up for Smart Cities
Keypoints:
- Cities have started using smart tech to collect data.
- Sensors and voice activation detects things such as traffic congestion.
- Smart cities allow congestion to be rerouted via retimed traffic lights.
Commentary:
Cities at large have been starting to utilize technologies, such as voice activation and sensors that collect data to support their push toward transitioning toward being a smart city. Everything has a cost, though, especially when it comes to new technology for a whole municipality, and there’s an added cost as well within integrating a lot of these technologies. So we asked Steve Mazur, Business Development Director for Government Sectors, at Digi International, where most U.S. cities are facing some of this funding and rollout challenge with their innovative smart tech and why.
Abridged Thoughts:
One challenge is city sponsorship. I have seen some projects fall flat where the sponsorship for the project is not one of the operating departments within the city. Sometimes, a special committee is formed to assess the technology, which doesn’t have the support going forward after completion. But, there are many successful smart city projects. I can cite a few, especially in smart traffic, where city sensors are used to detect congestion around the city, and then traffic lights are then retimed to avoid those traffic-congested areas. Also, another good example is connected street lights. LEDs have now been deployed throughout cities across the United States, and they’re all connected via wireless communications.
More Like This Story:
Why Does the US Rank so Low in Smart Cities
How Can Smart Cities Elevate Cybersecurity Efforts?
How Smart Cities Will Benefit from New FAA Drone Rules
Stay tuned to MarketScale for more videos, podcasts, and thought leadership surrounding the future of the policy framework and technology integrations that will be powering the smart cities of tomorrow.
Latest
Using Community-Generated Content to Build Engagement
Community-generated content (CGC) is a powerful tool for building a sense of community and encouraging engagement around your media content. By featuring content created by your community, you can create a more personal and authentic connection with your viewers while also encouraging them to engage with your brand and share their own stories. What is […]
Plumbing Industry: Providing Support and Adding Value to Your Employees
After the 2008 recession, unemployment reached a high of 10 percent, double the rate in December 2007 of five percent. In the midst of the economic downturn, James Terry managed to start a plumbing company, GreenTeam. Why and how did Terry decide to start his business at this time, and how has the culture […]
Go Paperless: Moving from a Manual to Electronic Tracking System
Many medical instruments are reusable, which has made tracking them through the sterilization process very important. These instruments often require inspection, maintenance, and sterilization to ensure maximum patient safety. Some healthcare facilities still track their instruments with paper and pen, exposing them to human error, credibility, time-consuming recalls, and boxes of archives that need to be stored. […]
