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Disruption: How the Internet of Things will Revolutionize Cities (Part 2)
The Internet of Things is poised to disrupt multiple industries in the future as the centralized computing paradigm gives way to distributed, data-rich systems. In this series of weekly posts, we will explore how the Internet of Things will change a specific sector, why it’s needed, the trends and drivers, and the outlook is going forward. This week, we continue exploring the topic of smart cities. Cities must compete to attract new residents, businesses, and visitors and, therefore, must work toward creating a high quality of life and a vibrant economic climate. The ability to collaborate, gather data, and engage citizens are critical to this mission. Cities must be vital and safe for its citizens and businesses but are challenged by growing demand for scarce and constrained resources. That is where the Internet of Things comes in to help and will transform systems, operations, and services to unlock the full potential that cities have to offer.
Public Safety
Emergency management and first responders are critical for maintaining safety and identifying trends that lead to chronic issues and criminal activities. However, gaining situational awareness and gathering insights are challenging as demand for services continues to rise, and resources continue to remain constrained. The Internet of Things can help emergency management and first responders effectively transition from normal to extreme situations with real-time data that enable them to adapt to rapidly changing situations for faster and more coordinated emergency responses. Coupled with analytics, finding the right information at the right time can help to address new and emerging threats, improve safety, and better serve the
Smarter Buildings
Buildings consume nearly half of all energy worldwide, and 30% of a building’s operational costs are due to energy consumption. As energy costs rise, the need to improve efficiency becomes even greater. Fortunately, buildings now have a wide variety of sensors and systems that generate mountains of data. With the Internet of Things, buildings can deliver more value taking the data collected by sensors and combining it with analytics and process automation resulting in increased operational efficiency and improved financial and environmental performance.
Government
Governments are what hold cities together and create the environment for people and businesses to thrive. But governments are plagued by decreasing revenues and higher demand for services as well as aging infrastructure and facilities. Governments need to reduce the costs and complexity of managing public services while increasing efficiency, security, and transparency. The Internet of Things makes it possible for governments to aggregate and share data from sensors and, using analytics, make effective and collaborative real-time decisions to improve their performance. This will result in greater efficiency for programs, control and transparency of budgets, and safety for citizens and businesses.
The growing challenges of responding to emergencies, improving efficiency, and maintaining safety make it imperative for cities to innovate how they serve their citizens and business. The Internet of Things makes this possible as sensors, systems, and applications can generate insights, improve decision-making, and meet the growing demand for public services. Next week, we conclude our discussion of smart cities and the series with how the Internet of Things will change the way support services delivery.
Imran Charania is a technology entrepreneur and an Internet of Things product development consultant. He was previously the Founder, CEO, and Chief Architect at Cirkyt Technologies, Inc. where he developed technology to create hybrid mechanical smartwatches. He is also a graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in Computer Engineering. Imran is a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers as well as his hometown Dallas Cowboys.
Imran can be reached for comments or questions on Twitter @imran_charania.