From data monetization to improving quality of life, smart cities will be highlighted at the Enterprise IoT Summit.
As the internet of things continues to take shape, harnessing connected technologies and attendant data insight to improve the functions of towns and cities has emerged as a stand out application. The traction around smart cities is a function of a massive global trend toward urbanization that is forcing civic leaders to rethink the way citizens live and work in cities, as well as how they interact with city services.
Smart city pilot projects and initiatives around the world have touched on everything from solid waste management, improving commute times through traffic management, providing free Wi-Fi in public spaces and saving money by introducing intelligent lighting systems to reduction of crime; fostering educational efforts; improving water and air quality; and better engaging residents through technology.
To lead discussion around driving digital transformation at the city level, as well as highlight important technological evolutions in how to innovatively capture and leverage data and improve urban quality of life, RCR Wireless News and Enterprise IoT Insights is bringing together thought leaders for the two-day Enterprise IoT Summit, March 28 and 29, in Austin, Texas.
A dedicated track on cities, vehicles and transportation includes Digi.City Founder Chelsea Collier; Ted Lehr, IT Data Architect and Smart City Team Lead for the City of Austin; Robert Frey and Steve Novosad of the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and other smart city project leaders and analysts.
In a panel discussion led by Dallas Innovation Alliance Executive Director Jennifer Sanders, Chattanooga.Gov CIO Brent Messer, Geoff Snelson, director of strategy for the Milton Keynes Council and InterDigital EVP of IoT Solutions James Nolan will explore how cities can monetize the massive amount of data smart cities collect.
Milton Keynes is a great example of the level of digital transformation a focused smart city strategy can help realize. In less than 50 years, the U.K. city has grown to a population of more than 250,000 people, and between 1981 and 2013 its population grew by 103%. The rapid influx of people has put pressure on the city’s infrastructure, and forced its leaders to look for ways to create sustainable growth and meet carbon reduction targets. The solution is to transform Milton Keynes into a smart city.
MK: Smart is Milton Keynes’ nearly $20 million investment in a multifaceted smart city initiative designed to meet environmental regulations and increase the standard of living for the city’s growing population by taking IoT-based approaches in areas including transportation, energy and water management.
Specific to data, MK: Smart’s Data Hub supports the collection, integration and application of big data from sources around the city. The Data Hub includes info from local and national open sources, data from infrastructure networks, sensor readings related to weather and pollution, and even crowdsourced data from social media and mobile applications.
In addition to taking part in the data monetization panel, Snelson, the director of strategy for the Milton Keynes Council, will also dive into how the city has approached digital transformation in a session titled “Analyzing MK:Smart – The U.K.’s first city to introduce a citywide IoT and data innovation network.”
To learn more about the Enterprise IoT Summit, including programming and registration details, click here.
