Public safety, connectivity key issues Smart Kigali initiative must address - Motorola

Motorola has lauded Rwanda’s efforts to ensure a connected population, saying the government has employed technology to improve the lives of Rwandans. Shimon Dick, the Motorola Solutions vice-president for Africa and the Middle East, said in today’s challenging business environment, some firms are driven by a process of thinking that is not necessary in the interest of the public. “But I cannot say the same thing about Rwanda…When we meet key executives from Rwanda, they are always promoting and thinking how citizens will benefit; they think long-term, about service delivery, and inquire about the right standards and technology to adopt,” Shimon said. Rwandans are making right decisions and are thinking long-term; long term meaning that they focus on service and application on the system, as well as its durability. He said the firm is following the developments keenly and would step in at an opportune time and see how they can support government efforts to strengthen public safety, besides ensuring a connected population. Shimon was speaking on the sidelines of the just-ended Critical Communications World 2016 conference in Rai, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, public safety is an essential element that countries promoting ‘smart cities’ must consider. For Rwanda, which has been promoting growth of provincial satellite cities and the Smart Rwanda project, the need for public safety and connectivity becomes paramount to attract investments across the country. However, sustainable growth of such satellite cities will need enhanced public safety management approaches using opportunities presented by technology, according to Jack Molloy, the Motorola Solutions executive vice-president for worldwide sales and services. Molloy said the Smart Kigali initiative will, for instance, require integrated networks to deliver ‘safe services’. He argued that marketing smart cities solely under the LTE (long-term evolution) network cannot help the city authority realise its goals as it has limitations. “The LTE network alone is not enough; the real value in a smart city comes from what you do on a daily basis to ensure public safety in a ‘smart’ way.” He said the ‘internet of things’ should be the driving factor while promoting smart cities like Kigali. Molloy added that network integration allows for seamless switchover across networks, enabling city security bodies and other agencies to use technology to understand issues like areas where criminals may live, or be able to predict and prevent or handle disasters, thanks to data integration. “Our view as Motorola is that the power (of smart cities) comes when you aggregate and integrate data; and how you disseminate it in a mobile environment... Power is not in buying a network, but what you do with ICT and integrate data from a command control system, and how you analyse and predict situations using that data to try and keep the world a better and safer place,” he said. In safer cities, powerful things can happen, which is why critical communication solutions and infrastructure are essential, he added. The Smart Kigali initiative was launched in 2013, and is part of the wider Smart Rwanda project aimed at promoting ict use in the day-to-day lives of city residents across all the sectors of the economy. New launches In a related development, Motorola Solutions has unveiled cutting edge public safety solutions with a view of strengthening how governments and businesses safeguard their environments. Motorola Solutions last week launched industry-leading radios, software solutions, enhanced infrastructure and a virtual reality-enabled command center concept at Critical Communications World 2016. They include the Si series video speaker microphone with a new combination of body-worn video camera, radio speaker and microphone, along with new, cloud-based, digital evidence management software, which is able to collaborate with TETRA digital two-way radios. The firm also unveiled a new ST7000 small TETRA radio, and the WAVE 7000 system that link millions of users regardless of device. business@newtimes.co.rw

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Public safety, connectivity key issues Smart Kigali initiative must address - Motorola