By Anton Le Saux, Head of Connectivity and Partner Sales at O2 Telefónica UK: The IoT provides 'a way of boosting productivity, of keeping us healthier, making transport more efficient, reducing energy needs and making our homes more comfortable', according to a report by The Government Office for Science.
This is certainly a belief that we share and have supported by working with a number of local authorities, offering advice around how to deliver effective services through digital expertise. The IoT is now beginning to make a real impact at local Government level, as more councils begin to adopt the technology and apply it to real life challenges.
One recipient of O2's expertise and advice is Newcastle City Council, which launched its SelfTrav app. The app uses tracking technology to help young people with learning disabilities to travel safely on public transport. The idea was to support the young people involved who want to be able to travel normally, without being conspicuous.
The app empowers them to travel safely and independently, without standing out from the crowd as most young people carry smartphones. The development of the app revolutionises how the council is able to deliver special educational needs and disabilities transport.
The applications for m2m technology in local Government are enormously diverse and can touch on anything from smart lighting and parking to measuring passenger journeys on public transport, traffic flow systems and energy management. There are councils that have struggled to understand how the IoT can be put to work to their advantage, but as more councils adopt the technology and knowledge is shared, the benefits will be widely felt.
(anton.lesaux@telefonica.com - partnersdigital.telefonica.com)