Innovation within South African cities seems like a pipe dream with our current climate of challenges, from persistent national black-outs (Load Shedding is the more common term) to stagnant economic growth. However, we see how these challenges advocate for “Smart City” solutions, providing infrastructure that inhabitants will need… and it may happen sooner than you think.
WHAT IS A SMART CITY?
A smart city is a high-tech and modern – often urban area – that uses different digital methods and systems to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return, that data is used to improve operations across the city. Offering many benefits that could effect South Africa positively, improving public safety, reducing environmental footprint and naturally improving operations
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS TO A SMART CITY
Data Centres
Data centres play a critical role and are built with the sole purpose of providing shared access to applications and data through the use of networks and storage infrastructure. They are essential in the process of overseeing systems within a Smart City, keeping data secure and available whenever needed by the organisation in control. Interconnect Systems believes there’s no tolerance for downtime in an always-on world – which is what a Smart essentially is – and regular, planned, preventative data centre maintenance is essential for fine-tuning and keeping data centre and connectivity infrastructure running at its greatest efficiency.
Networking
Structured cabling is the backbone of data tracking within a Smart City and functions as the nervous system, connecting every bit of infrastructure with each other in order to provide a seamless experience of automation and data capturing. This nervous system is composed of fibre optic and wireless network, better accommodating complex network architectures while offering bandwidth and ease of installation. This ease is often accommodated by intelligent wireless options which have intuitive and simplified user experiences with extremely easy and quick set up times. As these techniques are used, opportunities for innovation and productivity naturally appear, offering further development and growth within a Smart City.
Alternative Power Solutions
Although we are advocates of smart cities, we are not naive to their challenges and possible short falls that plague our nation daily. Currently, the greatest challenge surrounding Smart City functions in South Africa is consistent power, which is needed in order for all functions to work harmoniously for improved public safety and consistent data tracking. This can be solved with the use of Alternative Power Solutions, providing more stable and dependable delivery of power ass a long-term answer. UPS Systems, Inverters and Solar Panels are just some examples of Alternative Power Sources which would reduce overall power usage costs (over a long-term period), be more sustainable with a lower carbon footprint, reduce pollution and increase all property values connected to that system.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS?
Africa will be home to over 2.4 billion people within the next 30 years, often choosing cities and urban environments over rural living due to improved lifestyle options from healthcare to food supply. Coupled with the low-cost technologies which have stimulated a wave of innovation amongst African businesses – Interconnect Systems included – who aim to respond to these demands.
Although a daunting concept overall with our current framework, history has shown us that an increase in population density with urban expansion is essential for economic wealth and growth. The lack of “infrastructure” in comparison to Western and Eastern countries should be seen as a strength rather than a weakness, as countries within Africa have the capability to create completely new policies and programs unhindered by legacy infrastructure that are now obsolete – a blank canvas if you will.
“Always dare to dream. For as long as there’s a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living” is a quote that best embodies our sentiment towards South African Smart Cities. It may seem far reaching, but it is not unattainable, and our team is focused on providing smart and reliable solutions for all our clients, moving forward towards the future.
Contact Interconnect Systems today and find out everything you need to know about data centre builds, networking installations and alternative energy solutions for your specific needs. Get the answers you need with solutions you can use.
