Siemens IT Solutions and Services
Munich, Germany, 2010-Jun-28
In the findings of a recent study sponsored by Siemens and conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) for city management, it was found that ICT has become the life blood of all cities. ICT enables cities to be competitive and provides new ways for cities to overcome some of their most pressing challenges such as traffic congestion, environmental protection, and the need to optimize infrastructure. It also engages and empowers citizens across the world to get involved in devising solutions to the challenges of urban living. Approximately 2,800 public officials, business executives and citizens in 15 cities in 12 countries were interviewed. The results are being released for the very first time at the World Cities Summit in Singapore on June 28, 2010.
Enabling competitiveness and environmental consciousness
The study found that a strong Internet network and an ICT savvy workforce are crucial for a city’s competitiveness. Some 77% of businesses globally said an improved broadband network would have a significant impact on city competitiveness, making it the most important ICT feature for attracting private sector investment. Another significant finding is that ICT can influence the behavior of citizens and businesses towards environmental conservation by giving them more information about their usage of resources, such as energy and water. Globally, 74% of citizens and 61% of businesses claim they would likely change their consumption patterns if they can have more information about their own usage. However, they admitted that the right financial incentives need to be in place as well, to encourage environmentally sound behavior.
“One of the most striking findings is the fact that ICT has become a basic utility, like water and electricity, for all cities,” said Klaus Heidinger, Head of Global Center of Competence for City Management at Siemens IT Solutions and Services in Singapore. “This study also shows that there is a lot of potential for ICT initiatives like smart grid, which will enable citizens and businesses to better manage and optimize their electricity usage, improve energy efficiency, and encourage the use of renewable energy sources. As one of the world’s leading infrastructure providers, Siemens is uniquely positioned to assist cities tackle their urban development challenges. This is not only with infrastructure improvements, but also the integration of intelligent ICT solutions into all parts of a city’s infrastructure – from municipal transport to public security,” said Klaus Heidinger.
Engaging all stakeholders in a city
The study also revealed that businesses and citizens are looking at e-government initiatives to improve their interaction with public officials. More than 89% of businesses picked “higher efficiency” as an expected key benefit of using ICT in the delivery of public or regulatory services. Similarly, citizens felt that e-government initiatives would have a major or significant impact on their quality of life.
While the benefits of e-government initiatives are clear, stakeholders are divided on the barriers for their adoption. Businesses said that public officials could be more open to adopting online public services. On the other hand, a majority of citizens felt that public officials could be more responsive to their online feedback. In contrast, these officials cite citizens’ resistance to online transactions as one of the greatest challenges to e-government.
Overall, this finding suggests that e-government initiatives can bring a lot of value to cities. To derive maximum value, all stakeholders will need to work together.
Empowering citizens in providing solutions for their cities
The study also found an increasing trend where citizens, armed with data from official sources, video and other information, are coming up with smart phone and other mobile applications to make city living easier and more enjoyable. Public officials therefore may have to take a closer look at embracing ICT to empower their citizens to play a significant role in shaping their own cities.
For example, in Portland, Oregon, city officials have launched a competition called CivicApps for residents to create applications from data that includes information on parks, transportation and building permits. And in New York City, an iPhone user has taken a government census of more than a million trees to create an application that allows fellow users to point their device at any tree to find out its size and species.
About the study
The study “ICT for City Management” was conducted by the EIU from March to April this year, and involved 240 public officials, 2,250 citizens and 300 business executives across 15 cities in 12 countries – Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Mumbai, Munich, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, and Vienna.
The results of the study are being released at the World Cities Summit in Singapore today, and are also available at www.siemens.com/city-of-the-future.
Siemens IT Solutions and Services is an internationally leading provider of IT solutions and services. It covers the entire IT service chain from a single source, from consulting to system integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures. In addition, Siemens IT Solutions and Services complements the portfolio offerings of the Siemens Sectors with IT solutions. With its comprehensive know-how and industry-specific knowledge, the IT provider creates measurable added value for its customers. Siemens IT Solutions and Services employs more than 35,000 people, and in fiscal 2009, which ended on 30 September, posted annual sales of around 4.7 billion euros, of which over 75 percent are generated outside of the Siemens Sectors. Further information at: www.siemens.com/it-solutions
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