IBM on a mission to improve India's city life

MUMBAI, INDIA: IBM on Thursday announced the launch of IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities, a new solution designed to help cities gain a holistic view of information across city departments and agencies.

The Operations Center leverages analytical insights to monitor and manage city services through one central point of command so cities are better able to anticipate problems, respond to crises, and manage resources, said a press release.

The Center will allow cities to use information and analytics to make smarter and more timely decisions, helping local leaders manage a spectrum of events, both planned and unplanned.

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It includes deploying water maintenance crews to repair pumps before they break, alerting fire crews to broken fire hydrants at an emergency scene, or anticipating traffic congestion and preparing redirection scenarios, the company said.

The new solution is designed to optimize the operational efficiencies of a city and provide a unified view of all city agencies including energy, public safety, transportation, and water.

The Operation Center’s focus also lies with better coordination of the existing human and municipal resources when disaster strikes. With this approach, cities can minimize disruptions to public services and reduce the overall cost of maintenance and repairs.

“The future is smart cities: using intelligent technology in connection with city planning. The IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities has been designed to allow city leaders to access integrated, city-wide information in a single, unified view and deliver rapid, coordinated responses to events,” noted Pradeep Nair, director, Software Group, IBM India/South Asia.