City of Markham, Bell and IBM to collaborate on smart city initiative
The City of Markham, located in the Regional Municipality of York within the Greater Toronto Area, announced today the launch of a new partnership with Bell, the Smart City Accelerator Research Program. As part of the program, Bell, Canada’s largest communications company, will deploy its Smart City platform, which employs a network of Internet of Things (IoT) applications and devices to increase efficiency and quality of municipal operations and services for residents.
As part of the program, Markham and Bell will work together on the following initiatives: Asset management – remote tracking of usage and location of municipal equipment; Water leak detection – sensors on water mains and hydrants to provide real-time status of water system conditions; Storm/flood water monitoring – manhole and river sensors measure water levels to help manage flood risk and mitigate damage; Environmental monitoring – temperature and humidity sensors from fixed locations across the city will provide weather data to guide decisions on management of city operations; Energy management – sensors will monitor and support analysis of energy usage in municipal buildings to optimize energy management.
The program, dubbed the Digital Markham Strategy, the partnership will aim to create a ‘frictionless city’ through innovation and adoption of emerging technologies. Bell will use Markham as a case study for the implementation of future smart city initiatives.
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"Markham will serve as a living lab and an incubator for innovation," said Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of Markham. "By embracing smart city technologies, we will continue to deliver exceptional services to our residents at lower costs and improve the quality of life. This partnership with Bell speaks to Markham's commitment to leveraging the latest digital tools and assets; keeping us connected in an age of great transformation while reinforcing Markham's position as a municipal leader in the heart of Canada's innovation corridor."
IBM Canada is also involved in the project, partnering with Bell in order to implement its technology into the Smart City platform to assist in data gathering, processing and analysis through the company’s digital dashboard. The data and digital dashboard will be used by municipal workers to collaborate in real time to solve problems in the city as they arise.
"This integration between IBM's technology and Bell's pervasive broadband networks and IoT applications brings the best of these two industry leaders in delivering the Markham Smart City program to the City," said Nathalie Le Prohon, IBM Canada's telecommunications leader.
