Cisco's smart+connected way to transport

BANGALORE, INDIA: Shrikant Shitole, VP, Transformation Business, Cisco- India and SAARC, in an e-mail interaction with CIOL, talks about Cisco's Intelligent Transportation System and how it can bring a change in transport scenario. Excerpts:

CIOL: What is Cisco's Intelligent Transportation System and what is the need for it?

Shrikant Shitole: Cisco Intelligent Public Transportation solution is a unified, standard-based communications solution that takes advantage of existing investments in disconnected traditional systems to help the transportation authorities to capitalize on emerging operational, customer service, and security opportunities.

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Is made up of Cisco's network security, core and edge network, Aironet series of wireless local-area network (LAN), IP communications, CWDM/DWDM optical, mobile access router, IP video surveillance, and digital signage solutions:

It builds the foundation for secure, intelligent transportation systems, thus providing smart+connected transportation, which integrates workplaces, residential buildings, travel service providers, airlines, and hotels onto a single platform promoting a seamless transportation experience to increase sustainability and productivity.

In other words, it is a common communications infrastructure, built on a resilient technology foundation, which can replace multiple proprietary networks with a single IP-based architecture for converged voice, video, and data.

CIOL: What are the challenges in the creation of such smart transportation system?

Shrikant: Transportation agencies today cannot afford to take business risks due to fluctuating budgets, physical space limitations, and the sizable investment they have already made in network infrastructure.

However, if the existing infrastructure consists of disparate IT network elements, the ability to improve is significantly inhibited, creating the following challenges:
- Functional silos of information
- Redundant applications
- Proprietary systems
- Different network protocols
- Costly, complicated network design and deployment

CIOL: How effective can this system be, considering the state of traffic logjams in cities?

Shrikant: Cisco Intelligent Public Transportation solution can make a strong impact in the public transit system, through traveler information services, systems operations and maintenance, new integrated management systems, and safety and security improvements.

The Cisco solution builds upon the mobile IP routing protocol allowing vehicles traveling from one network and data transport method to another to roam throughout transit while maintaining secure communication sessions.

CIOL: Which are the factors that need to be considered for the success of this system?

Shrikant: For any system to be successful certain aspects play an important role. The organizational factors required for the successful deployment of Cisco Intelligent Public Transportation Solution are:

Advanced technology insertion, interoperability and maintenance;
System approaches at the planning, operational and service connectivity levels.
Private industry products and services linked to public infrastructure and services.

Human factors also form a major part in determining the success of the system like:
System reliability (on human responses to system failure and false alarms)

The human machine interface: Hhow the HMI can be designed to minimise distraction and cognitive workload.

Behavioural adaptation: How people adapt behaviourally over time to exposure to the systems and how acceptable they find the systems.

CIOL: How and when do you plan to upgrade this system?

Shrikant: We are constantly looking at innovating and adding value to our solutions. Therefore, upgrading a system will depend on the need for making solutions like the Intelligent Transport System better, faster, cheaper, and more efficient to provide Smart+Connected Transportation.