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IBM picks Surat, Allahabad & Vizag among 16 global locations for smart cities project

Under the programme, IBM will send a team of experts to each of the chosen cities where they will spend three weeks working closely with city staff.

By PTI | Updated:
IBM picks Surat, Allahabad & Vizag among 16 global locations for smart cities project
NEW DELHI: Tech giant IBM has chosen Surat, Allahabad and Vizag among 16 global locations for its smart cities programme to help them address challenges like waste management, disaster management and citizen services.

Under the programme, IBM will send a team of experts to each of the chosen cities where they will spend three weeks working closely with city staff analyzing data about critical issues faced by its local bodies.

Each consulting engagement under the 'Smarter Cities Challenge' has a commercial value of $500,000.

"The initiative gives us the opportunity to work with city municipal corporations on diverse societal issues from transportation to disaster management, healthcare to waste management and share recommendations to become more effective in transforming citizen services," IBM India Head Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Mamtha Sharma told PTI.

Other chosen cities include Amsterdam (Netherlands), Athens (Greece), Denver, Detroit, Memphis, Rochester (New York) in the US, Melbourne (Australia), San Isidro (Peru), Santiago (Chile), Sekondi (Ghana), Taichung (Taiwan), Xuzhou and Huizhou (China).

Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai have received the Smart Cities Challenge grant in India in the past.
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The Indian government plans to develop 100 smart cities by 2022. In the Budget, Finance Ministry had allocated Rs 7,060 crore for developing these smart cities.

Governments across the world are keen on setting up smart cities, where technology can help citizens access, in real time, infrastructure services like traffic, parking, lighting, and water.

These technology solutions will also help city operators to improve infrastructure operations by sharing information in real time across agencies and systems.

The 16 cities for 2015-16 were selected from more than 100 cities that applied for a grant of consulting services from IBM.
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By the end of 2016, IBM estimates to make such grants to more than 130 cities, with nearly 800 of IBM top experts delivering pro bono services valued at more than USD 66 million.

"For the first time, in addition to providing pro bono consulting services, IBM will use IBM Watson Analytics Professional Edition to help take the city's pulse, as expressed on social media.
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"This might include studying travel patterns, public health, or the effects of man-made and weather events," Sharma said.

The tool can understand questions posed in natural, non-technical language, and help its users collaborate, predict and plan, she added.
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Cisco's campus in Bangalore: Lessons for PM Modi's smart cities
1/15
Moinak Mitra, ET Bureau

As the Chief Globalisation Officer at Cisco, Wim Elfrink prides himself on applying digital overlay to physical infrastructure.

He's also the brain behind the 2.18 million square feet Cisco Smart Campus in Bengaluru that houses eight glass-and-concrete buildings showcasing a digitally connected and sustainable environment where 8,500-odd techies don't have an assigned workplace.

The campus ecosystem resembles a smart city and is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's big idea of digitising India by setting up 100 smart cities.
Moinak Mitra, ET Bureau

As the Chief Globalisation Officer at Cisco, Wim Elfrink prides himself on applying digital overlay to physical infrastructure.

He's also the brain behin..
Read More
Though Elfrink is based out of Cisco's global HQ at San Jose, he's been a regular to the Bangalore campus since his India stint in 2007.

In his words, the campus is a smart city in itself, even more advanced than the San Jose headquarters of Cisco Systems.
Though Elfrink is based out of Cisco's global HQ at San Jose, he's been a regular to the Bangalore campus since his India stint in 2007.

In his words, the campus is a smart city in itself, ev..
Read More
A walkabout in the Cessna Business Park where the 32-acre Cisco SEZ is the lone corporate surrounded by LG, InMobi and a few other companies outside its gates gives a sense of the expanse and an evolving digital architecture that caters to the demands of the Gen Y employees, who make up roughly 25 per cent of its population (Cisco India contributes to 60 per cent of Gen Y staff company-wide globally).

As the younger workforce prefers a seamless environment for day-to-day activities, it ties in quite naturally with the company's vision of work-live-play-learn.
A walkabout in the Cessna Business Park where the 32-acre Cisco SEZ is the lone corporate surrounded by LG, InMobi and a few other companies outside its gates gives a sense of the expanse and an evol..
Read More
Cisco employees can book a work station through the global network by scanning the QR code in their device. It then extends to a higher degree of personalization wherein the IT registration mode tosses up the employee's preferences—lighting, air-conditioning, TV channels, phone profile preferences, and even the blinds setup.

Simply put, you get to choose not only your workplace for the day but also your ambient light and temperature zone at the touch of a button.
Cisco employees can book a work station through the global network by scanning the QR code in their device. It then extends to a higher degree of personalization wherein the IT registration mode toss..
Read More
Employees can access their seat for the day much before entering the campus, be it next to friends at work or by the cool confines of a Zen-like garden.

And when they are done for the day, the seat is up for grabs again, thereby increasing space utilization campus-wide, which today sits at 58 per cent.
Employees can access their seat for the day much before entering the campus, be it next to friends at work or by the cool confines of a Zen-like garden.

And when they are done for the day, th..
Read More
Of course, Cisco is high on tele-presence, an innovation the company has perfected over the years and high-definition screens abound in the campus that hook on to 600-odd Cisco offices worldwide, as well as with the location of clients and partners.
Of course, Cisco is high on tele-presence, an innovation the company has perfected over the years and high-definition screens abound in the campus that hook on to 600-odd Cisco offices worldwide, as ..
Read More
The Bangalore campus is perhaps the most connected in the Cisco ecosystem.

People can pick any conference room, and adjust the lights, shutters or even control the AC.
The Bangalore campus is perhaps the most connected in the Cisco ecosystem.

People can pick any conference room, and adjust the lights, shutters or even control the AC.
Talking of security, the company's transport buses, used by 30 per cent of the staff, are fitted with GPS tied to the Transport Control Room.

Apart from route information, even if the driver deviates from the prescribed route or over-speeds, an alert is generated.
Talking of security, the company's transport buses, used by 30 per cent of the staff, are fitted with GPS tied to the Transport Control Room.

Apart from route information, even if the driver d..
Read More
Moreover, all transport vehicles come equipped with RFID tag readers.

In other words, staff are supposed to swipe in on entry and swipe out on exit. If they do not get off at a registered place, which is the drop-off point, an alert again gets generated. For those who prefer to drive down to work, parking is made easy.

Though the campus has room for 2,200 cars, there are sensors on the ground that pick up whether a parking lot is occupied or empty. So the employee gets to choose his parking lot much in advance over his registered device and can park without any hassle. The idea is to manage parking efficiently.
Moreover, all transport vehicles come equipped with RFID tag readers.

In other words, staff are supposed to swipe in on entry and swipe out on exit. If they do not get off at a registered plac..
Read More
On campus, efficiency flows even in the business of food. The five cafeterias can accommodate roughly 6,000 people. This is where the 'Connected Café' solution comes in handy providing information on where things lie.

While the main kiosk on the entrance to cafes is one way to look at things—menu, availability— anyone can do the same from their device. Giri Govindrajalu, Director IT, Cisco India swishes his iPad and goes to the Connected Café app where he pinpoints to a North Indian Thali with 1,259 kilo calories.
On campus, efficiency flows even in the business of food. The five cafeterias can accommodate roughly 6,000 people. This is where the 'Connected Café' solution comes in handy providing information on..
Read More
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