The InnOvaTe project in south London is to begin using a dedicated platform to collect and analyse data from internet of things (IoT) sensors in the participating boroughs.
It has been developing the platform, which is based on Microsoft’s Azure cloud, with Hitachi Solutions. This follows a year-long series of trials across Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton under the umbrella of the South London Partnership.
David Grasty, corporate head of digital strategy and portfolio at Kingston, said: “We are excited to be taking the InnOvaTe project to the next level with the support of Hitachi Solutions and Microsoft.
“Having a unified platform will allow our data to be used efficiently, accessed easily and ultimately more helpful in delivering better outcomes for people in South London and beyond.”
Access and ecosystem
Tim Kidd, head of UK public sector at Hitachi Solutions, said the move is aimed at making it as easy as possible to access the data and deliver better outcomes, and Faith la Grange, director for local and regional government at Microsoft, said it will help to create an ecosystem for councils to deal with various challenges in their local environments.
Hitachi Solutions has highlighted the use of IoT sensors in adult social care as an example of the progress made by InnOvaTe.
This is the latest step in the project, following the recent announcement that the South London Partnership had come to an arrangement with the University of Essex for research and evaluation of the IoT technology used.
It had previously announced plans for new projects using sensors to monitor the usage of green spaces and building security.
