Today we want to share with you the basis for the development of Smart Cities, something that we at Esferize are passionate about both for its technological complexity and the rewarding possible results, but… Do we know what a smart city is
According to the IDC, a Smart City is a city or municipality whose authorities use technology-based systems to support economic development, sustainability, well-being and safety.
Why develop a smart city?
There are already urban centres that have implemented intelligent systems for different areas of their management and administration. And, although each one pursues specific goals, there are four main points that are applicable in all cases, as they all meet the common interests of society:
1. Economic development
Cities are the engine of a country’s economy. However, for a city to be able to absorb this increase and turn it into a source of economic growth, it is essential not only to have a sustainable economic model, but also that it is supported by systems capable of autonomously and intelligently managing all aspects of the city. Ensuring an efficient city is the key, and the technology on which Smart Cities are based is fundamental to this.
2. Sustainability
Can the cities of the future be a source of pollution? Certainly not. Sustainability is a fundamental key, and a large part of this involves improving energy efficiency. Many of today’s smart city projects involve replacing dependence on fossil fuels with the use of renewable energy.
3. Quality of life
The well-being of the population is a determining factor in the development of cities, and the large number of technological devices available to society already represent (or at least should represent) an improvement in this regard. The key now is to adapt this trend to include it in the development of cities. The use of these devices must be combined with systems that guarantee citizens services according to their specific needs, as well as adapting them to the demographic context of urban areas.
4. Security
Street crime, terrorist threats… the population lives in fear, so one of the aspects that must not be neglected in the development of the cities of the future (as well as in the adaptation of the current ones) is security through technology and mobile devices.
The basis of a smart city
Now that we know what Smart Cities are, we must pay attention to the elements on which they are based to function, which we cannot overlook.
Mobile devices
When we talk about the Internet of Things, we tend to think of sensors of all kinds, but we often forget that personal devices are also part of the IoT. The key to making the most of them is to develop systems that enable interaction between users’ smart devices and the smart systems of smart cities.
Social technologies
Today, there are already many social tools (open social networks, business social networks, CRMs, etc.) that collect a huge volume of information that, if applied to city management, can have a very positive impact on the development of cities.
Cloud infrastructures and services
For many reasons, the future of smart cities lies in the cloud. Its flexibility, scalability and the pricing policy for services of all kinds make the Cloud the ideal platform for the collection and analysis of data generated by citizens and the network of devices and sensors installed in cities.
Big Data
The analysis of data in real time is, as we have already mentioned, a fundamental key to the development of smart cities. And, of course, the greater the volume of information, and the wider the variety of sources, the more accurate the conclusions drawn from data analysis.
We hope that this information will help to understand the near future of cities, which is as complex as it is exciting, because it is undoubtedly a challenge for the IT sector and at Esferize we love to face new and complex challenges every day in which we have to give the best of ourselves.
Source: muycomputerpro.com
