Summary: #SmartConnectedCity Series: A Smart City is a Safer City: Look to the Internet of Everything

Increasing safety used to mean finding budget for additional personnel, vehicles, equipment, radio networks, and other traditional IT. But thanks to an influx of connected technology, cities all over the world are reimagining what’s possible.

One question that is on the minds of many government leaders is: how can my community bring the same amount of funding and resources, achieve effective and secure collaboration and information sharing, and leverage new technologies — such as BYOD and Internet of Things (IoT), as part of a scalable architecture?

The answer is the Internet of Everything (IoE).

The bringing together of people, process, data, and things (like sensors) in new ways can create powerful change. Here are a few examples:

The Internet Of Everything at Work: A New Zealand Police officer is more efficient on the streets thanks to the Mobile Responder app.

New Zealand Police Officers Spend More Time in Community. About 6,000 New Zealand Police officers now have about 30 extra minutes each day to spend in the community thanks to an intuitive mobile app called Mobile Responder. Instead of having to drive to the station to access law-enforcement databases, the officers rely on the power of the Internet of Everything to request assistance and help fight crime.

Hurricane Sandy Responders Used Video for Situational Awareness. During Hurricane Sandy, traffic lights at a major intersection in Queens, New York, lost power. The resulting gridlock had become dangerous to residents trying to evacuate. A fire department chief put in an urgent request for police officers to direct traffic, but the request was buried among hundreds of others. However, through the use of IP video cameras relaying the severity of the situation in real-time, a fire chief was able to escalate the evacuation request.

Accelerate Threat Awareness and Response. Problems like a flooded sewer system or downed power line hurt the local economy. Now, utilities are finding out about safety problems sooner, using their existing network. A sensor in the sewer system, for example, can report a problem before residents do. And the dispatcher can find the closest person—from any agency—with the expertise to fix the problem.

To read more about how the Internet of Everything is creating safer cities at a lower cost, read the full article: #SmartConnectedCity Series: A Smart City is a Safer City: Look to the Internet of Everything.