Building Smart Cities Of The Future With Microsoft

By Sajith Sahadevan, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Dynamics 365 Field Service

The term smart city usually focuses on infrastructure and how big data and information technology can be used to better manage urban assets such as waterworks, roads, and public transit. Smart denotes physical assets connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) via sensor technology streaming data such as smart parking meters or smart streetlights. Smart cities use data captured by IoT devices to monitor and perform preemptive maintenance to ensure city services are always at optimal levels. But that’s just part of it. Smart cities can focus on internal local government processes such as digitizing records or an online process for permit applications or licenses. Citizens may describe a smart city by the ease of getting around or the reduction in crime. The bottom line: every descriptor is right. Built properly, a smart city will provide different value to different stakeholders.

The smart foundation

Technology is at the foundation of a smart city, but it’s one of many layers. If technology is the engine, then the fuel drives the outcome. A smart city leverages technology to achieve key outcomes for its stakeholders that include citizens, businesses, government, and visitors. Outcomes can be as broad as making government easier and more effective to do business with to optimizing transportation, transit, and traffic management systems. These results must matter to the stakeholders and should align around the needs of the city such as efficiency, sustainability, mobility, economic development, health, public safety, and quality of life.

A smart city is a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem comprised of people, businesses, policies, and laws tightly woven together to create the desired outcomes. Smart cities are adaptive, responsive, and always relevant to those that live, work, and visit the municipality. A smart city integrates technology to continually accelerate, facilitate, and transform itself.