After completing a three-week pro bono consulting engagement for Pune, IBM has presented a plan with the Pune Municipal Corporation for providing its citizens with improved health and transportation services. The IBM’s recommendations include the use of mobile technology and the analysis of large and complex quantities of electronic information, often referred to as "Big Data".
Assisted by IBM's India Software Lab, the IBM team has worked with several teams from city departments, the local medical community, academia and citizenry to better understand Pune's challenges. IBM felt that the use of low-cost mobile phones to gather and report information could help officials more quickly identify and resolve both short-term events. Citizens could easily use their mobile phones as a way to automatically update physicians about their health status and receive assistance for health and safety issues.
The availability of detailed data about travel patterns would allow planners to model and design more routes and modes of travel. This will enable apps to help travellers plan their trips door to door, and receive timely updates about traffic disruptions.
Mamtha Sharma, Manager for Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM India, said, “Pune has always demonstrated a strong passion to re-energize its existing infrastructure towards building a smarter city. The Pune Municipal Corporation has supported us with valuable input at every step during our project. We hope that the recommendations made for smarter healthcare and transportation will enhance the quality of life for its citizens."
The IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge project to intersect business, technology and society is sponsored by IBM's Corporate Citizenship program and IBM’s International Foundation.
