I hail from the southern portion of the United States. We’re no strangers to natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, and even earthquakes. However, no place is immune. We’re all vulnerable to incidents and disasters – whether they be acts of God or manmade. And these events place incredible strain on our cities, especially when it comes to safety.
Resiliency is the key to a safe city – our cities need to be able to bend but not break. And to be truly safe, cities cannot only protect people and property. They must also protect economic activity, the environment, and the public perception of the city as a safe place to live, work, and visit. Given the world’s current state, that’s a tall order.
In his recent post “Shaping Smart Cities,” Hexagon’s President and CEO Ola Rollén pointed out that the data, technologies, and solutions that promise to revolutionize urban life, have limited value when used individually. Ola’s right. The power behind smart – and safe – cities lies in how well the pieces connect and work together.
Safety is a key component in Hexagon’s smart city portfolio. Hexagon is uniquely positioned to help public safety agencies and city governments address the challenges created by rapidly growing population, rising crime rates, and frequent unplanned incidents like acts of terrorism and severe weather events.
We are helping to shape tomorrow’s safe cities by providing a technology framework that enables multiple services to work together with a singular purpose on common objectives. That means making cities more resilient by connecting IoT systems and operational technologies within the city’s enterprise information architecture; improving collaboration between public safety agencies, city governments, transportation authorities, and utilities companies; and providing greater intelligence for planning and response operations. It means focusing on technologies that can serve as components of a wider strategy in addition to their established roles and capabilities.
Our goal in shaping safer cities is to create efficient, clean and thriving ones. At Hexagon, we are creating the resilient smart city – one that is digital first, always safe and absolutely connected. Because to truly reach smart city potential, cities must be able to bend but not break.
Shaping Smart Cities. Shaping Smart Change.
