IBM and AT&T have joined together in a 'global alliance' to develop support for the Internet of Things.
The initial focus of the new venture will be on city governments and midsize utilities, combining the two companies analytics, cloud and security technologies.
According to IDC, the Internet of Things is set to experience exponential growth in the coming years, and IBM's 'smarter cities' project is just one example of how the new tech will be used. The partnership intends to analyse and integrate the vast amounts of data produced by assets within smart cities, such as mass transit, utility meters and video cameras.
Bright lights, smart city
As a result of the support provided by the IBM and AT&T global alliance, the two firms hope that cities will be able to better evaluate patterns and trends in their data to improve urban planning and better manage their equipment and finances.
AT&T offers its machine-to-machine global network, as well as the Global Subscriber Identity Module, while IBM will bring its Intelligent Operations Centre, Asset Management and analytics capabilities to the table.
"Smarter cities, cars, homes, machines and consumer devices will drive the growth of the Internet of Things along with the infrastructure that goes with them, unleashing a wave of new possibilities for data gathering, predictive analytics, and automation," said Rick Qualman, Vice President of Telecoms, IBM. "[It will] enable all organizations to better listen, respond and predict."
