Dubai, October 24, 2013: International Data Corporation (IDC), the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets, welcomes this week's announcement of a project to transform the Dubai Emirate into a 'Smart City'. This initiative is aimed at transforming local service delivery by interlinking key public and private sector services, and delivering these to the public via the use of smart devices utilizing high-speed wireless internet connections.

There has been recent buzz about Smart Cities, with many different definitions on what it means to be 'smart'. IDC has in fact been examining the concept of smart cities since 2010, and has had opportunity to interact with hundreds of city mayors, CIOs, government leaders involved in urban innovation, technology vendors, and IT service providers. IDC has learned that city leaders are most concerned about improving their ability to deliver efficient and relevant services across several common service domains. In terms of city infrastructure, these issues center around the provision of citizen-centric services, the expansion and improvement of transportation networks, the management of public safety, waste and energy resources, and education and health services. Economic development, tourism promotion, and job creation are also important aspects considered by city leaders.

Any Smart City initiative must therefore involve a multifaceted transformation of services and infrastructure. Such initiatives must impact numerous areas, from the provision of transport, energy, and healthcare services, to the state of public safety and government services.

"The same key questions often arise in cities as diverse as Beijing or Boston, as they consider how to grow and keep pace with technology and the expectations of their citizens and businesses," says Mukesh Chulani, Research Manager for IDC Government Insights Middle East and Africa. "Indeed, we see a similar drive towards Smarter City status by the Emirate of Dubai, where the focus is squarely on ensuring that government services are accessible and delivered quickly and efficiently. This has been the case with a wide range of government projects that can be viewed as a basis for the Smart City initiative, ranging from the Emirates Identity Authority's Population Register and the National ID Card Project (PRIDC) to DEWA's online bill payment."

Access to a vibrant city economy by business, citizens, and local government is the ultimate goal of any Smart City initiative. Effective Smart City solutions must integrate information and operations between different city systems. For example, to provide effective and smart public safety, governments would require seamless views across border management, surveillance, emergency response, and other related security systems.

What exactly, therefore, is a Smart City solution? IDC identifies the following attributes that must be included for a solution to be considered smart:

  • To gather and aggregate data, pervasive broadband networks must be in place to collect and transport the data in real-time or near real-time. Data may be gathered from a variety of software and hardware components, such as sensors, parking meters, license readers, or directly from citizens via social media applications.

  • To discover and analyze information, robust software is required to process, cleanse, and consolidate collected data. New data should be integrated with historical data sets. Furthermore, trends should be discovered and/or outcomes predicted from the use of analytics software (including predictive analytics and social analytics software). Finalized information must then be displayed in an automated fashion via dashboards, system management tools, or customized alerts.

  • Mechanisms must in place to respond to the analyzed information. For both automated responses and those that require human intervention, processes must exist that facilitate the optimal execution of a response and measure the outcomes of that response.

Technology advancements in the last decade have created the right environment for Smart City solutions. Pervasive wireless and broadband connections, advanced analytics software, intelligent sensors, the profusion of mobile devices, and the use of social media can all be integrated by vendors to provide solutions for city governments.

Chulani adds, "Dubai already has many of the right pieces of the puzzle upon which to build its Smart City initiative. It has already invested in solutions to utilize biometrics for secure and efficient border clearance, centralized government payments, and created a base technology platform for departments to utilize shared solutions such as its Government Resources Planning System. Its cross-border electronic data interchange system is among the best in the world. And it has recently made a strong push to enhancing mobility by rolling out key services through smartphones."

In Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, points out that the implementation of the Emirates' Smart City initiative will involve a strong partnership between Dubai's public and private sector. The rationale behind this partnership lies in the fact that services rendered to citizens, residents, and visitors are not simply restricted to governmental departments, but include airlines, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, banks, and other service providing bodies as well. Such a partnership drive is also consistent with IDC's findings. Indeed, in the development of Smart Cities, innovation in public-private partnerships and engagement models is a necessity, but is also one of most difficult aspects to achieve.

With this announcement, Dubai has declared its forward-thinking perspective and is now counted among the early adopters of the 'Smart City' vision within the GCC region. IDC is of the opinion that the Smart City initiative, successfully comprised of multiple integrated domains, will result in positive multiplier benefits to the city as a whole.About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 48 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.IDC in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey

For the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Casablanca, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Further expansion plans for 2013 include the opening of an additional office in Cairo. Our coverage couples local insight with an international perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey currently fields over 125 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region.

Contact for Media
Anulekha Shetty
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Email: ashetty@idc.com

© Press Release 2013