Digital Transformation helping Smart Cities flourish

A smart city is simply a community that harnesses digital technologies, such as Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, Mobility, Drones & Wearables to improve the quality of life of people, optimize available resources such as electricity, roads and water in economically sustainable manner, and reduce environmental pollution. 

They are run just like businesses to with smart and user friendly services.

In smart city, IT is the major factor and the basis for providing essential services to residents. Smart Cities depend on data available to them from all the above technological advances to enhance the quality and performance of their services.

Smart Cities integrate and analyze massive amounts of data to anticipate, mitigate, and even prevent many problems. This data is leveraged, for example, to intelligently reroute traffic and reduce accidents, identify crime hot spots and target resources for crime reduction, and connect citizens at work or out on the town.

Younger people expect to have the city in their pocket — to find a cab, locate the next bus, find a nearby restaurant or event, report a pothole or broken streetlight, apply for their driver's license, or tweet to their government representatives. They want consistent, personal service via their smart device.

Here is what future smart city can give you:

• Smart Traffic: Connected car sensors collect valuable real time data about traffic density and report it the control center, allowing to adjust traffic light sequences intelligently, as well as apply manual corrections whenever necessary.
• Smart Parking: Integrated with municipal Buses and private car owners, to build a highly efficient parking system.
• Smart Energy: Automatic lighting control, may vary from obvious night-time auto activation to dimming based on crowd density and weather conditions. Every home will have a smart meter to control the power usage and report in real time.
• Smart Buildings: Facilities including power management, lighting, physical security, fire safety and IT infrastructure.
• Smart Safety: Firefighters wearing sensors that let them know if the CO₂ in a building has reached lethal levels. Grid of connected CCTV cameras to ensure public safety. Air quality sensors detect pollution peak and warns people who are subject to allergies through their smartphones.
• Smart Charging: There are charging stations by the side of each road for electric vehicles, drivers can pay by flashing their wallet or even contact less payment.
• Smart Advertising: Personalized digital signs for people passing by.
• Smart Water System: IoT sensor enabled water systems which measure the flow, pressure, level and chemical content of the water to improve quality and usability
• Smart Views: Use of augmented and virtual reality to help people indoor and outdoor navigation.
• Smart Access: Users can open car doors or office doors by just touch of finger or even with IoT enabled sensors ensuring doors are opened when users are approaching
• Smart Commute: Connected cars and trains giving personal entertainment based on Big data Analytics insights.
• Smart Planet: Special lanes for bicycles for health conscious commuters helping zero carbon footprint

New York, London, Paris, Columbus Ohio, Dubai & Barcelona are the examples of smart cities around the world.

Smart Cities bring multiple rewards like better control of public spending, more engaged citizens in local development, improved performance of public transportation systems, lighter traffic and a reduced carbon footprint.

Smart Cities innovations have come a long way. All these digital technologies are future. Someday will come, to make Captain Kirk’s “Beam us up scotty” catchphrase true.