In a landmark move for Australia’s fifth largest city, Adelaide City Council and Cisco will be working in alliance to create Australia’s first Internet of Things Innovation Hub.
“Our recent collaboration with the State Government and local internet provider Internode that now brings free WiFi across the city is a great indication of what can be done through partnering with key information and technology groups,” said the Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said at the launch of a new Internet of Things Innovation Hub in Adelaide. “The MoU between Council, our State Government and Cisco is the next logical step in Adelaide’s continuing journey toward an integrated Internet of Things.”
“This Innovation Hub will allow creative brainstorming and technological know-how to thrive,” added Science and Information Economy Minister Gail Gago. “It will provide a place for our brightest and most creative minds to develop new ways of living our lives in a wired, connected world. The possibilities are fascinating and endless,” she added.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Adelaide, the State of South Australia and Cisco will see the establishment of a “physical space for entrepreneurs and start-ups” to work together towards creating and testing “applications for new methods of smart communication,” according to a post on the State website.
Although it is hoped many of the most innovative ideas will only be brainstormed within the hub itself, Yarwood has already divulged a few ideas that may soon come to fruition. One such idea is demand-based pricing for public car parks; they also hope to link in to the public transportation system, to allow passengers to move through the city in the most timely and efficient manner. One idea Yarwood has gone on the record as having called “sexy” is an augmented reality app, to highlight local hotspots or give directions.
“You can even have an old mayor from previous times physically standing in three dimensions pointing the way to whatever infrastructure you might want- augmented reality to show where the nearest public toilets are or where the city library is,” Yarwood explained.
Earlier this year the City and the State Government went into a partnership with local internet provider Internode to equip the city with free WiFi, which is why Cisco believes that Adelaide is an ideal city for the Internet of Things (IoT) hub.
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(Image credit: John VW)
