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| Source: Nokia. Girotra. |
Cities are accelerating their efforts to respond to challenges brought about by demographic and economic shifts with smart city initiatives. In Asia Pacific, such challenges include an expanding population and rapid urbanisation that are straining city resources such as support systems, housing, jobs, education, transport, energy and healthcare.
Sandeep Girotra, Senior VP, Asia Pacific & Japan, Nokia, says there are misconceptions about what makes a city ‘smart’. "While there is no single agreed definition, each city can prioritise their needs based on where they would like to see themselves in any given number of years," he said. "Whatever the case may be, a city’s ‘smartness’ is about making the best use of data through responsive, scalable technology that works for humanity.
"In an emerging market, it could mean increased automation to improve the quality of life or services for its citizens. Some markets focus on improving the operational efficiency of their own municipal services such as city monitoring, street lighting, waste collection or parking services. There are others who give priority to engaging with citizens via smartphone apps and engagement with the city’s departments. Others put public safety above the rest because threats such as natural disasters, health emergencies, cyber or terrorist attacks are demanding for quicker response times by first responder agencies."
One such smart application is fall prediction for the elderly. In Singapore, Nokia signed a memorandum of understanding with St Luke’s Eldercare (SLEC) to co-develop, conceptualise and trial Asia’s first fall prediction video analytics application for the elderly. The solution leverages Nokia Bell Labs’ proprietary video analytics technology to create an unobtrusive and continuous monitoring system to determine the likelihood of an elderly person falling. The personalised and predictive solution will analsze information about walking speed, gait width and step width, and predict and send an alert when there is an increased risk of the person falling. The application will be integrated into Nokia’s IMPACT IoT Platform in the next phase, to allow the caregiver to view and collect information from the solution and other sensors that the elder is using.
One such smart application is fall prediction for the elderly. In Singapore, Nokia signed a memorandum of understanding with St Luke’s Eldercare (SLEC) to co-develop, conceptualise and trial Asia’s first fall prediction video analytics application for the elderly. The solution leverages Nokia Bell Labs’ proprietary video analytics technology to create an unobtrusive and continuous monitoring system to determine the likelihood of an elderly person falling. The personalised and predictive solution will analsze information about walking speed, gait width and step width, and predict and send an alert when there is an increased risk of the person falling. The application will be integrated into Nokia’s IMPACT IoT Platform in the next phase, to allow the caregiver to view and collect information from the solution and other sensors that the elder is using.
Accounting for emerging technologies
Girotra warned however that rapid advancements in technology mean that cities must continuously rethink strategies. "Industries are increasingly betting on AI as machine learning and automation continue to prove that it can deliver real business value. Meanwhile, connectivity, sensors, devices and analytics derived from IoT applications are starting to create incredible outcomes not just for individuals, but across industries," he pointed out.
Girotra warned however that rapid advancements in technology mean that cities must continuously rethink strategies. "Industries are increasingly betting on AI as machine learning and automation continue to prove that it can deliver real business value. Meanwhile, connectivity, sensors, devices and analytics derived from IoT applications are starting to create incredible outcomes not just for individuals, but across industries," he pointed out.
Smart city security
Another area that hogged the limelight in 2017 was the intensified discussion around cybersecurity, a critical factor in advancing smart city applications especially when it will require high powered networks to enable the millions of connected devices, Girotra said.
"The Wannacry attack we witnessed was responsible for one of the largest ransomware attacks of all time earlier this year, infecting over 230,000 computers in 150 countries, according to our latest Nokia Threat Intelligence Report. The report also revealed a dramatic rise in 2017 ransomware infections. With the broad deployment of new IoT devices, service providers will need robust, end-to-end network security management so they can proactively detect, predict and combat the growing threat from increasingly sophisticated ransomware and other types of malware.
"It’s imperative for all stakeholders to play a role in safeguarding the gold mine of data in today’s connected world – from governments to enterprises, vendors, public safety agencies, network operators, urban planners and the public. For cities to be smarter and safer, governments and industries need to accelerate digitalisation from every aspect, so that cities can be empowered to respond quickly to challenges ahead."
Another area that hogged the limelight in 2017 was the intensified discussion around cybersecurity, a critical factor in advancing smart city applications especially when it will require high powered networks to enable the millions of connected devices, Girotra said.
"The Wannacry attack we witnessed was responsible for one of the largest ransomware attacks of all time earlier this year, infecting over 230,000 computers in 150 countries, according to our latest Nokia Threat Intelligence Report. The report also revealed a dramatic rise in 2017 ransomware infections. With the broad deployment of new IoT devices, service providers will need robust, end-to-end network security management so they can proactively detect, predict and combat the growing threat from increasingly sophisticated ransomware and other types of malware.
"It’s imperative for all stakeholders to play a role in safeguarding the gold mine of data in today’s connected world – from governments to enterprises, vendors, public safety agencies, network operators, urban planners and the public. For cities to be smarter and safer, governments and industries need to accelerate digitalisation from every aspect, so that cities can be empowered to respond quickly to challenges ahead."
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