Smart IT & Communications

Technology has made life smoother for humans at a personal level but it is also contributing to the betterment of the lifestyle and safety of a city as a whole. This concept of inculcating technology in the working of a geographical location is termed as Smart City. When the management of a city has a vision for urban development with the help of technological equipment, such a city attains this title. A smart city integrates communication, information technology, and Internet of Things (IoT) technology in the maintenance of the city....

The internet is ready for an upgrade. That’s according to UK researchers who are setting up an “internet playground” to try out new kinds of internet infrastructure on a national scale. They believe an improved internet could make a wide variety of new applications possible, from robotic surgery conducted from hundreds of miles away to musical duets performed by singers on different continents. “We know the internet needs reinventing,” says Dimitra Simeonidou at the University of Bristol. “It was originally designed for basic communication like email, and now we want 4K video...

Internet major Google has won its first city Wi-Fi deal in collaboration with companies like IBM, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and RailTel from Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCSCL), a special purpose (SPV) vehicle formed for the smart city mission in the city. The SPV was registered in March, and has seven stakeholders and 15 directors. The latest contract is valued at Rs 150 crore, and includes capital expenditure, operating expenditure and revenue sharing elements, Pune Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar told ET. “The work order was given on January...

Imagine picking up your smartphone to explore crime statistics for your neighborhood, see new restaurant permits issued over the past year or chart the safest bike route through the city. Lafayette city-parish government is in the early stages of a new initiative to give residents easy access to a world of interesting information sitting on government computers that has been largely inaccessible. The idea is generally referred to as “open data”: taking the piles of digital data held by government agencies and opening it up to the public. The effort here received...

When it comes to building Smart Cities, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud are two key components to make things work. For Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, these two components are now part and parcel of his life as the networking major turns its focus towards IoT and Cloud for delivering connected cities. It makes sense at a time when, from Copenhagen and London to New York City and San Diego, more and more cities are embracing IoT and Cloud data storage to make life simpler and easier for their residents —...

One in four installers of fire and smoke detectors (24 per cent) believe the FM service sector will feel ‘the greatest impact” of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the way it integrates into the coming generation of smart cities. A survey by fire detection product manufacturer Hochiki Europe, conducted with ‘life safety’ installers across EMEA and India, saw respondents suggesting that the growth of cloud-based monitoring systems in their own sector would change significantly as a result of integration with smart cities. Respondents also suggested that the healthcare, education and...

Libelium has added Sigfox wireless connectivity to its portfolio of Waspmote OEM and Waspmote Plug and Sense! sensor devices, to speed development of Smart Cities and Internet of Things (IoT) projects that require low-energy, long-range wireless data transmission on the Sigfox global network.The Waspmote platform now offers a dozen connectivity options available off the shelf, and integrates more than 100 sensors. Both lines of Waspmote sensor devices are “SIGFOX Ready™ Class 0,” the certification ensuring maximum performance wherever the Sigfox global network is available. Currently, the Sigfox network is deployed...

Connode is working with Reliance Energy in Mumbai as the strategic partner for communication solutions and applications using Intel® IOT Gateways for building a Smart Sustainable City Network in Mumbai. “Smart Sustainable City solutions is one of the focus areas for Intel as part of the larger Internet of Things space. We are excited to work with Reliance and Connode to provide Intel IOT Gateways for one of the most interesting and growing Smart City markets in the world” In the first phase, Reliance will connect the smart meters, streetlights...

To address the future of urbanization and the growing stress levels on the citizens living in metros, TheNational Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) 10,000 Startups along with Bengaluru City Police, Embarq India, HackerEarth and IBM, is set to host a two day hackathon ‘The Urban Hack’ on October 3rd and 4th 2015. This will be first-ever smart city hackathon aimed at improving transportation, crime prevention and public safety through the use of technology.According to the World Resources Institute, Bengaluru city alone has a vehicle for every two people...

India’s urban population is estimated to grow to thrice its current size by the year 2031. This calls for vastly improved infrastructure and provision of essential services to citizens as well as businesses. Significant opportunities await the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, which, more than any other, is capable of addressing the myriad challenges faced by Indian cities in matters of physical and social infrastructure, environmental considerations and governance.NASSCOM estimates that the total ICT spending for smart cities could amount to 10-15 percent of total budget. This translates to...