Connected World Magazine ArticlePERFECT GIFT LIST: TOP GADGETS AND GIZMOS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
DUBUQUE, IOWA IS AMONG THE SEVEN MOST
CONNECTED LOCALES IN THE UNITED STATES
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PEGGY SMEDLEY. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
-
Connecting
Your City
n October 2009, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced his "Connected City" initiative. It was a series of
technology programs designed to make the Big Apple more
livable, rolling out programs aimed at transforming how New
Yorkers interact with and get services from city government.
It was his goal to build on his administration's existing 311
program, emphasizing how to make government more acces-
sible by using city Websites and distributing more information
via Twitter and other social media forums. He even espoused
getting an iPhone app that would let New Yorkers submit
quality-of -life complaints to 311 directly via their iPhone.
What made Bloomberg's Connected City approach so powerful
was that he was reaching out to residents directly. He was not
just doing things behind the scenes, but rather he was involving
all residents, both young and old.
It's really no surprise that a big city of 19 million citizens
would lead such a charge as to implement leading -edge M2M
(machine -to- machine) and connected services with residents.
However, when Dubuque, Iowa, Mayor Roy Buol and the
Dubuque City Council declared they wanted to be the quintes-
sential city of the future, they did more than turn a few heads.
Don't get me wrong, Dubuque is the kind of forward- thinking
city that, innovative as it might be, gets overlooked in favor of
more notable cities such as San Francisco, New York, or Seattle.
Shortly after taking office in 2005, Buol formed a pretty
impressive citizen's task force to outline and draw up a blueprint
for sustainability. Since that time he has made his pioneering
mark and Dubuque has earned high praises for being the first
so -called smart city through IBM's program. Dubuque has now
created the perfect template or model for other cities to follow.
Similar to New York, many cities had small pieces of the puzzle
in place, but none had completed the whole city model. So
what's the secret sauce of these two cities?
Some might consider the connected city just a dream.
Following the lead of Bloomberg and Buol, there are now
mayors, governors, and village presidents who are determined to
forge new paths and take M2M technology well beyond what
most ever even imagined to date.
Even though Dubuque is considered to be the first connected
city, government leaders recognize how quickly it is changing
through data transfer and making our lives a little easier in
some ways and perhaps a little more complicated in others.
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What's so interesting about all these programs is that we
have government officials championing the technological cause
for their communities well ahead of the private sector. Typically
it's the private sector or consumers that make the investments
in technology first. But with the economy in disarray right now,
we have a couple of future- thinking politicians looking for new
and better ways to collect, interpret, and disseminate data.
As economies around the world slid into recession, the U.S.
rushed out economic stimulus programs around which technol-
ogy champions continue to tailor their efforts. The result in some
communities has been services that function better and faster.
However, in other cities, some career politicians tried to
manipulate the stimulus monies to their advantage and have no
real intention of delivering on their promises of building a truly
connected city.
So I can't help but wonder how much buy -in government
officials are receiving from residents after all the bad publicity
as of late over smart meters and smart -grid initiatives, and even
concern over too much government control and intervention
in their lives. It's great to see the government encourage the
connected city and to get involved, but too much government is
never a good thing.
We all agree that technology is helping with Amber Alerts,
improved sharing of patient medical records, and improved
emergency response times, among other benefits. But we have
also seen reports that it has led to stalkers using GPS to track
their victims and created "Big Brother" concerns, for example.
Don't get me wrong. There's plenty of good stuff in what
we are seeing right now and it's just a matter of time before
connected devices continue to drive more of what we do. Call
me impatient, but I'd like to see more of the private sector
stepping up and doing its part to demonstrate the real value
behind this technology.
Maybe connected devices will bring the next big surge for
the private sector
as businesses
invest in rebuild-
ing themselves and
the community
in which we live.
The only question
is when will your
company invest in
M2M solutions
and connected
devices to spur our
economic growth
once again?
CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010 13
7CONNECTED
CITIES
HOW EMERGING TECH IS (HANGING LIFE ACROSS THE U.S.
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Roy Buol knows something important. He knows the United States is being
inundated with new technology. From smart meters, to electric cars, to
health- monitoring devices, it sometimes seems as if the nation could be
called America the Connected. Buol, mayor of Dubuque, Iowa, is not ignoring
this fact. He and the community are working to transform Dubuque into a
city that can thrive in this new environment. With new technology and new
solutions, Dubuque is a city looking forward to a time when many everyday
processes —from using a parking garage to having the water meter read —
are connected.
Dubuque is one of many cities across the country looking at ways
technology can change the future. This vision leads some people to jump for
joy at the prospect of a cleaner, greener, more advanced future, while others
lament the loss of old ways and worry about security and privacy issues.
Both sides have a point. Technology itself is usually neither good nor bad,
but the way it is implemented makes all the difference, and solid plans are
needed to carry off any new initiative effectively.
The following seven cities are giving it a shot. They are wrestling with the
new solutions and blazing a path for the rest of us. They are learning lessons
about what works and what doesn't. But most importantly, they have the
courage to move forward, even if it sometimes requires a few steps back
along the way.
These cities are giving us answers to the question: What does it mean
to be connected? It seems to have to do with access to information, and
with getting data when you need it. It can also mean taking advantage of
connectivity to do things faster and more efficiently, for example sending
information about the status of electric vehicle chargers to a central database
or using data to analyze which water pipes are at high risk to break.
It is important to note that these are not the only connected cities in
the United States, but they are considered among the most progressive.
Throughout the next seven pages we take a trip across the United States,
touching different regions of the country to bring you some very connected
locales. Each of these seven cities uses connectivity to re- imagine a central
tenant of life in the United States, and as we look into their stories, we may
be looking into our own cities' futures.
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STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY
Can a city be smart? Dubuque, Iowa,
thinks so. This city on the banks of the
Mississippi is working to brand itself as
one the smartest, most sustainable towns
in the United States.
In 2009, IBM announced Dubuque as
the first U.S. city to be part of its Smart
City program. But Dubuque had already
been building a program of sustain -
ability on its own. Led by Buol, the city
was devoted to implementing projects
that would help Dubuque become a
more efficient, ecologically friendly, and
pleasant place to live. "We are trying to
squeeze every bit of efficiency we can out
of the process," Buol says.
These projects have included a pilot
installation of smart water meters, as well
as a recent pilot project to install new
AMI (advanced metering infrastructure)
electric meters in nearly 1,000 house-
holds. The electricity- metering pilot is
a partnership among the city, Alliant
Energy, and IBM Research. Buol says
the electric -meter project will "create a
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paradigm shift in how energy is being
used in the city of Dubuque."
By the end of 2011, Dubuque will
replace each of its 22,500 water meters
with a new AMR (automated meter
reading) meter. The city will save more
than $144,000 per year by eliminating
manual meter reading. An additional
part of the meter replacement is the
Smarter Water Pilot Study, in which
about 350 households will participate.
The study will use IBM technology
to monitor and analyze water use in
homes, providing Dubuque with near -
realtime insight into the city's water
consumption. Homeowners involved
in the pilot will access an online portal
where they can view data collected in
the study.
Dubuque is also interested in
smarter parking. The city is looking
to implement a system called Lime-
light, which was developed byTwis-
think and commercialized by its
affiliate,TwistHDM. Limelight allows
parking - garage lights to be monitored
over the Web. Lighting schedules can
be automated to only come on when the
system senses motion.
According to Bob Niemiec,
managing partner for both Twisthink
and TwistHDM, the system in easily
customized. "Perhaps in the evening,
instead of running on full power,
(lights) can be scheduled to go at half
power. Motion sensors can be controlled
at the discretion of the owner /operator,"
he explains.
In addition to being part of IBM's
Smart City program, Dubuque was
recently named one of 22 "2010 Smarter
Cities" by the Natural Resources
Defense Council. The environmental
action group looks for cities testing solu-
tions that will lead the way for the rest
of the United States.
Dubuque is doing its homework to try
and make its sustainability goals a reality,
and perhaps this river city can then teach
other towns as well.
CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010 43
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44 CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010
THE BODY ELECTRONIC
The nickname "America's Finest City" gives San Diego a lot to
live up to. It's a bold proclamation, but San Diego is doing its
best to make the moniker reflect reality. The city's healthcare
community is doing its part by working to implement new
technologies designed to simplify healthcare while reducing
costs. A variety of connected technologies, often used in
conjunction with electronic medical records, are making the city
stand out as a center for connected healthcare.
At least that's what the U.S. government thinks about San
Diego. In May, the city was named one of 15 Beacon Commu-
nities nationwide and received a $15.2 million grant as part of
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Technically,
the funds were awarded to UC San Diego Health System on
behalf of the San Diego community of health partners. The goal
of the Beacon Communities is to use IT resources to improve
patient care and cost effectiveness. When announcing the
grants, Vice President Joe Biden pointed out the importance
of connected tech for bolstering healthcare, saying, "These
pioneering communities are going to lead the way in bringing
smarter, lower -cost healthcare to all Americans through the use
of electronic health records."
These electronic records can make it easier to access patient
information, and ensure the information is accurate. One
San Diego Beacon Community partner, Sharp HealthCare,
has already instituted a new system for checking in patients
that rivals the gadgetry found in spy movies. Sharp is using
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PatientSecure, a biometric patient- identification technology
that can recognize patients based on a scan of their hand. A
scanning device reads the patient's unique palm vein pattern,
which is then connected to the person's electronic medical
record. A quick scan of a patient's hand will pull up a wealth
of medical history, including past admissions, allergies, and test
results. The scanner could prove especially useful if a patient
is unconscious and needs to be identified. Sharp is just one
example of a medical center doing interesting things with
technology, but San Diego has more stories to tell, and the
Beacon Community grant will help it roll out new programs in
the coming months.
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Sharp HealthCare in San Diego has instituted PatientSecure,
a hand- scanning device that reads each patient's unique palm
vein pattern. This pattern is much more accurate than even a
fingerprint in identifying an individual.
wiwi.connectedworldmag.com
... Working to implement
new technologies designed
to simp0iify healthcare while
reducing costs.
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CONNECTED WORLD I. December 2010 45
REINVENTING WATER
New York has water on its mind, and the city is in the middle
of a massive conversion to automated metering reading that it
hopes will keep money in the Big Apple's coffers. In July, the
city announced the launch of a realtime water - metering system
that lets consumers and businesses go online to see details of
their water use and bills.
One vital part of the system is the wireless water meter that
is able to transmit consumption data. The meters are connected
to low -power radio transmitters that send the information
collected to a rooftop network of receivers spread throughout
the city like a vast spiderweb of connectivity. Each meter sends
this data at least four times per day, and some large buildings
have readings taken hourly.
Consumers can go online to see their water use by the day,
week, month, year, and billing period. The idea is that with
more insight into when and how they use water, consumers will
be able to identify ways to cut back, as well as detect any leaks
that might be inflating bills. So far, nearly 400,000 wireless
water meters have been installed, with all New York City water
customers expected to have the meters and online access to data
by January 2012. Once complete, New York says it will be the
largest city in the world to use wireless water meters citywide.
Of course, consumers aren't the only ones who benefit. The
city will be saving some serious cash, as the wireless meters
remove the need to pay for manual meter reading. New York's
annual meter - reading contract costs more than $3.6 million,
and during a few years, the savings could add up to an amazing
amount. Even in something as basic as water, technology is
swooping in and changing everything.
Consumers can go online to
see their water use by the
day, week, month, year,
and billing period.
46 CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010
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HYDRANT HEROES
In case of an emergency, the best tool of responders is often not
faster trucks, but quicker information. If emergency responders
can get more detailed information about the location and status
of an incident, they can be better prepared to help.
Washington, D.C., knows this is true.The city has installed
a system to provide realtime information on water hydrants.
Working with IBM, the city is modernizing how the water
and sewer infrastructure is managed, and now a combination
of asset - management software, analytics, and mapping applica-
tions allows city workers to quickly see the status of hydrants
(and other infrastructure).
In the past, firefighters responding to a call would have had
to leaf through paper maps that may have had inaccuracies.
Now, they can connect wirelessly from the truck to a database
of specifics on each hydrant. They can pull up informa-
tion, with accompanying maps, in their trucks that details
the precise location of hydrants, as well as their water -flow
capacity, and other stats.
48 CONNECTED WORLD December 2010
Imagine how much time could be lost if firefighters have
to search for a hydrant, or hook up to one that has less than
optimal water -flow capacity. For instance, tapping three
hydrants on the same water line could result in lower pressure,
but now firefighters instantly know which hydrants are
connected to which lines. Ordinary citizens can also take a peek
at the hydrant data if they are interested in knowing the status
of their nearest hydrant. Much of the information is publicly
available on the DC Water Website.
However, Washington, D.C., is doing more than just moni-
toring hydrants. The same type of detailed location and status
information is available to maintenance crews working on the
city's water pipes. Information is stored on the location of all
pipes and valves, and this data can also be analyzed to assess
which pipes are at higher risk of a break. In essence, the system
is helping the city anticipate the location of potential problem
areas before they become a problem, which is good for both city
workers and the community.
www.connededwoildmag.com
ENERGY TRIALS
Getting connected isn't always a walk in the park. Any
connected city project is sure to be met with setbacks and chal-
lenges, and sometimes those challenges become more public
than others. Often, the trials a city faces with implementing
new initiatives are only news in that city But when a town takes
on a ground- breaking project designed to change the world, any
setbacks are likely to catch the national eye.
That's what is happening in Boulder, Colo., where the city is
working with Xcel Energy on a smart -grid implementation. In
early 2008, Xcel Energy announced its plans to make Boulder
the nation's first fully integrated Smart Grid City. Xcel said
the advanced, smart -grid system it would implement during
the next few years would provide customers with a variety of
benefits. Today, Xcel and Boulder are dealing with increasing
costs for the project, which appear to have almost tripled from
the original projections.
The question being asked is, who will cover the increased
costs? Xcel wants to recover costs from customers, but the
Colorado Public Utilities Commission has been holding
hearings on the project to determine how to best proceed, and
it's not clear what the ultimate outcome will be.
Whatever happens, many Boulder residents do have smart
meters installed because of the project, as well as access to
data on their energy use. If the project continues as planned,
consumers should eventually have access to in -home devices
that can help them manage their energy use in realtime.
As for Xcel Energy, the Boulder City Council voted against
a new 20 -year franchise agreement with the company. Instead,
Xcel will continue to provide gas and electricity for Boulder
residents without a franchise agreement, at least for now.
There has been much discussion in Boulder —and else-
where —about whether the project should be considered a
success or a failure. Right now, it seems too early to say. The
project was intended as a study, and if the results show costs to
be higher than anticipated, that is something other cities can
take into consideration when thinking about finding their own
smart -grid programs.
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PLANNING FOR AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Whether it's music, food, or politics,
Austin has the reputation of being a city
on the cusp, with tendencies ranging
from forward - thinking, to eclectic, to
just plain strange, as evidenced by the
city's unofficial slogan, "Keep Austin
Weird." It only makes sense that a city
with an open mind would be among the
first to adopt electric vehicles.
Austin has a number of programs in
place to further the adoption of electric
cars and make it more convenient for
users to recharge them. Central Texas
Clean Cities teamed with local utility
company Austin Energy to support an
incentive program for Austin Energy
customers who buy qualifying all- electric
cars, scooters, motorcycles, or bicycles.
In April this year, a Whole Foods
Market in Austin installed its first
electric - vehicle charging station as part
of the ChargePoint Network, created by
Coulomb Technologies, headquartered
in Campbell, Calif Coulomb focuses on
providing technology for electric vehicle
charging, and in June it announced the
intent to deliver free home and public
ChargePoint Networked Charging
Stations in nine regions of the United
States as part of the ChargePoint
America program. ChargePoint America
is funded in part by a $15 million grant
provided by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act.
As part of the program, carmakers
Ford, Chevrolet, and smart USA have
committed to deliver electric vehicles in
the designated regions. Austin is one of
those regions, and the city is gearing up
for an influx of electric cars.
Austin Energy believes nearly 200,000
plug -in electric vehicles could be on
Central Texas roads by 2020, and it
has made preparing the infrastructure
to support these vehicles one of its top
priorities. The Austin Energy Plug -In
Electric Vehicle Readiness Initiative is
a three -year plan rolled out by Austin
Energy to ready homes, roads, and the
electric system for electric automobiles.
Austin is ahead of the curve in this
regard, and the city is set to be a leader
when these cars hit the market.
CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010 51
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LIGHTING THE WAY
San Jose is literally a shining example of connected tech in
action. The city has been working on a pilot project to replace
old streetlights with new, energy - efficient LED lights that can
tell city workers when they burn out. The project is part of San
Jose's Green Vision, a 15 -year plan that aims to complete 10
goals, one of which is to reduce per capita energy use by 50%.
The streetlight project should contribute to those energy savings.
The streetlights are networked together using technology
from hometown -based Echelon Corp. So far, 117 streetlights
have been fitted with the technology in the city's Hillview
North neighborhood.The system provides realtime status
updates on the lights, including sending messages to mainte-
nance crews when a light is out. Realtime reports on the status
of lights are logged for analysis, measuring parameters such as
the number of hours burned. The lights can also be dimmed
remotely late at night to conserve energy and cut light pollu-
tion, which is good for the nearby Lick Observatory.
In 2008, San Jose spent nearly $3.5 million on energy costs
for streetlights, and city officials are hoping the new connected
lights will help to pare that figure down over time. The city's
long -term goal is to have all 65,000 streetlights connected to
the system by 2022. That's a lot of lights, and they are creating a
brighter future for San Jose.
52 CONNECTED WORLD I December 2010
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