Mobility, public safety, healthcare and other connected services will save residents of smart cities 125 hours per year, study says
A new study produced by Juniper Research and commissioned by Intel takes at look at how internet of things technologies leveraged to create smart cities takes a look at how residents will benefit from connectivity-based services. The key takeaway, according to researchers, is that smart cities can save residents more than 100 hours of time per year as a function of enhanced mobility, public safety, healthcare and improved productivity.
“Analysts tend to focus on the technical underpinnings of building a data-centric world,”vWindsor Holden, head of forecasting and consultancy at Juniper Research, said. “We can’t overlook the importance of the real human benefits that smart cities have. Connected communities, municipal services and processes have a powerful impact on a citizen’s quality of life.”
Citizens are reaping the benefits of the connected world in Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco and Singapore, which are the most connected cities in the world, according to Juniper Research. The authors highlighted the time savings associated with improved traffic management and healthcare services.
In the case of traffic, IoT can be used to reduce congestion and commute times through sensors that can adjust to real-time road conditions. These savings have a straight line impact on stress levels, health and pollution. In the healthcare example, the authors note that hospital bed occupancy tops 85% in many cities, which equates to longer wait times for new patients. More efficient healthcare operations and accessibility to services can improve wait times, costs for patients and providers and reduce the risk of infection related to time spent in a hospital.
“Cities are engines of economic activity, and we as an industry need to make them more resilient and responsive,” Sameer Sharma, global general manager of smart cities IoT solutions at Intel, said. “Partnerships between city planners, government officials, private companies, OEMs, software developers and startups are creating smart city ecosystems that will empower citizens while reducing our carbon footprint.”
