ARMONK, N.Y. – 6 June 2011: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities, a new technology solution designed to help cities of all sizes anticipate problems, respond to crises, and better manage resources, by infusing digital intelligence into municipal operations through one central point of command.

The Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities will allow cities to use information and business analytics to make better decisions, helping local leaders manage a spectrum of events, such as deploying maintenance crews to repair a broken water line and emergency responders to re-route traffic due to flooded city streets.

As the majority of the world’s population repatriates metropolitan areas, key city systems such as water, power and transportation are being strained to the breaking point. For citizens, a smarter city can mean automatically finding the fastest way to get to work, electricity and drinking water that can be counted on, and safer streets, to start. And today’s increasingly empowered consumer expects their standards for quality of life are met to support the urban influx and resulting economic growth of cities.

“All cities are made up of a complex system of systems that are all inextricably linked. The Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities recognizes the behavior of the city as a whole, thus providing more coordinated decision-making based on deep insights into how each city system will react to a given situation,” said Anne Altman, general manager for Global Public Sector at IBM. “With more than 2,000 smarter cities engagements worldwide, we are now applying best practices and solutions that can be scaled to cities of all sizes around the globe.”

Through a single operations center, cities will be able to:

• Accurately gather digital information about physical city systems, including transportation, water, buildings and public safety
• Use business analytics to analyze real-time information to better model and predict outcomes
• Integrate that real-time information from across different city systems to enable more coordinated decision-making

The Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities is extendable to help support a wide range of integration project across the city. City leaders can adopt specific modules for management of different city systems:

Water Management: There are millions of miles of water pipes hidden beneath cities around the world, many of which are more than 100 years old. Today, up to up to 60 percent of water is lost due to leaky pipes, but with a thoughtful combination of planning and new technology, maintenance and repair of water infrastructure can take a quantum leap. IBM’s near-real-time analytics systems track and report on infrastructure conditions from filtration equipment, water pumps and valves to collection pipes, water storage basins and laboratory equipment. The ability to monitor these systems in real-time means that potential problems such as a burst water main, a slow leak, a clogged drain or a hazardous sewage overflow can be quickly identified and resolved – or even predicted and prevented. The system also taps into geospatial data to pinpoint the exact location of problem areas. Over time, increased awareness on water consumption can lead to changes in attitudes, behaviors, and habits that enhance sustainability.”Our assets give us headlights into the future, providing actionable insights,” said Omer Siddiqui, DC Water.

Transportation Management: Traffic is a crucial element of the daily operations of any city. Each year American drivers waste an estimated 3.7 billion hours, the equivalent of 5 days each, sitting in traffic burning 2.3 billion gallons of fuel. Current transportation systems and infrastructures are strained and continue to become even more burdened due to the growing population and increased demands for mobility. IBM uses analytics technologies to provide travelers with real-time traffic information across multiple modes of traffic so that they can chose the best route for their commute. IBM also creates integrated platforms for managing fare payments for transportation services such as highway tolls, transit fares and parking charges, or electronic pricing systems that charge drivers for using part or all of a road network, such as an expressway or a bridge, typically for a specific time of the day.

Public Safety Management: Through the integration and application of analytical tools, on-demand information-sharing offers public safety organizations improved management and insights into the vast array of data and material assets used for emergency response. IBM provides real-time information and situational awareness solutions that enables public safety professionals to reduce crime, protect first responders and improve citizen services, while preserving government budget resources. The capabilities allow local, state, federal and non-government authorities to harness the intelligence derived from analytics fed by sensors, global positioning systems, cameras and integrated communications to make smarter and more timely decisions. For example, command and control centers can more efficiently re-route resources, traffic and people without creating gridlock, panic or confusion and further protect citizens and property.

Building Management: Buildings are among the chief consumers of energy worldwide, accounting for 42% of global electricity use. IBM integrates building systems such as heating, air conditioning, lighting, communications and security as well as maintenance systems, onto a common network to add a new layer of intelligence and automation to typical building control systems. The company builds solutions to analyze data from thousands of sensors, allowing users to get a real-time “picture” of how their real estate assets are performing in areas such as energy and water usage, for example.

For more information about IBM Smarter Cities, please visit www.ibm.com/smartercities.