Fin24: Smart new ideas

Simon Dingle wrote another good article on Smart Planet that I have copied and linked here.

Smart new ideas
MOST will agree that the human species could be doing things a lot more efficiently and productively. Problems such as water shortages and traffic jams shouldn't exist.

We waste a lot of energy, time and money doing things that should be achievable with less overhead. And we have fantastic technologies that could help with problems, but most of them are focused on military affairs, or turning a buck.

Think beyond day-to-day business and immediate threats, consider the long-term problems we face as a species and the need for cohesive action is clear.

The global downturn has forced us all to take a step back and reassess the way we do things - how we think about work and interaction, and what really matters.

IBM has a new initiative it calls Smart Planet which will underpin all the technology giant's future developments. The idea is that our most fundamental problems can be solved if we work together, combine efforts and share assets.

If we do this, we can converge our technological achievements and ideas to produce solutions greater than the sum of their parts.

'Billions for the better'
IBM spends more money on research and development than any other private company in the world, and will spend $6bn on research and development this year alone. It invented the hard drive, networking and countless other technologies that surround us today.

Now the firm is looking at the bigger picture in terms of global challenges, using its vast resources and ecosystem of partners to solve everything from the most rudimentary and fundamental problems to complex aspirational challenges.

Says Clifford Foster, chief technology officer of IBM South Africa: "Smart Planet is IBM's strategic agenda going forward. It is essentially saying that key drivers are changing the way we see systems needing to be built. Technology can play a role in solving our problems whether it be in healthcare, water provisioning or just about anything else.

"There are three key pillars here. One is in the fact that the world is now digitally aware, with sensors being installed in motor vehicles, waterways and just about everywhere else. The world is also interconnected, and here Africa has a great story to tell with bandwidth projects under way.

"And thirdly, it is about being able to make intelligent decisions based on information provided in near-real time. Smart Planet is about bringing these things together and taking advantage of our instrumented, interconnected and intelligent world," he explains.

Smart marine solutions
An example of a Smart Planet solution can be found in Ireland, where the SmartBay Project has been created to monitor wave conditions, marine life, pollution levels and other factors in and around Galway Bay.

The project uses a kind of electronic buoy to monitor everything from fish in the bay to chemical consistency of the water. The buoys are solar powered, and the data they capture form part of a cohesive system that will be used by everyone from private fisheries to emergency workers and port authorities to monitor the bay in real time.

Foster says the Smart Planet way of thinking is, in part, about sharing infrastructure and systems instead of everyone trying to own and control their own, separated systems.

He uses the example of CCTV cameras installed in cities which can be used to advise on traffic flow, respond to emergencies, control crime and even monitor conditions for road maintenance. The key is in being able to share the actual cameras.

The objects being developed by IBM and its partners to aid the Smart Planet agenda include everything from next-generation circuitry to microscopic membranes used to clean water.

"Using technology to solve our real problems is not something IBM can do by itself. We are working with governments, clients and business partners to make these things happen," says Foster.

There are countless examples of Smart projects aimed at Africa's challenges, but they depend on having governments and other parties on board. Foster says IBM has been welcomed by stakeholders, and that discussions are under way to implement solutions.


The original article can be found here

Working to improve the lives of Africans

I was very impressed with Eric Cantor and his presentation on AppLab.

AppLab, a Grameen Foundation initiative, builds solutions in Africa that enables people to use phones and other mobile devices as to improve their lives and livelihoods.

They have linked up with MTN's Village Phone solution to extend the reach of their offerings beyond the penetration achievable by working with handset owners. For your interest; Village Phone is a solution where an entrepreneur in a village invests in a phone and then resells voice and data, thereby creating a viable business whilst delivering a valuable service to the community. Applab is extending the data aspect of this to deliver additional services that are focussed on alleviating poverty, improving healthcare, improving agricultural yields and providing people with access to market information.

In addition AppLab has been training and supporting local entrepreneurs to serve as information and communication hubs for value-added services. This addresses some of the language and literacy issues that are based when delivery technology-based solutions.

An AppLab application that caught my imagination was a solution that assists farmers in identifying banana diseases and helping them to take corrective action once diagnosed. Where this gets really interesting is that they gather information (GPS and photo) from the farms in the region and then collate this data for the benefit of all farmers. Farmers are then in a better position to understand where this particular disease is spreading and whether they are at risk.

Great stuff!

Safaricom goes Green

Margaret Githiri, Power Systems Manager, at Safaricom was explaining how the unreliable energy grid and high cost of diesel used to fuel generators has driven their move to green energy.

Safaricom are currently powering 115 of their 2000 sites using a hybrid power solution combining wind, solar, batteries and generators. When energy from wind is down they switch to solar and batteries. The batteries can keep the site powered for seven hours before they have to switch to generators (assuming that the wind turbines and solar panels aren’t generating energy by this time).

Safaricom are predicting significant cost savings despite the high initial CAPEX outlay to install this equipment. Maragret has estimated a payback of less than two years and there is the added benefit of reduced Co2 emissions.

Lastly Safaricom have come up with an innovative solution to helping rural mobile users that don’t have access to power to charge their phones. They installed charging booths at their stations where users can charge their phones for a small cost. This has had an additional benefit, and solved another problem, as communities are protecting the base stations themselves. They have seen a significant reduction in diesel theft and damage where this service is provided.

More innovation in Africa! Well done Safaricom.