Brilliant At The Basics In Memphis

By Laura Benold, Managing Editor, Smart Cities Connect, April 3, 2017

Why become a smart city? When we reflect upon the push and pull – industry, cities, citizens – it’s important to remember that the “why” isn’t the same everywhere. If you ask Brent Nair, Chief Information Officer for the City of Memphis, he’ll tell you that his passion is in finding technologies that will serve people today.

“In Memphis, 28% of the population lives in poverty, and 48% of children don’t have Internet connectivity at home, creating a vast and growing digital divide,” said Nair. “We’re taking a measured approach and looking at how we can more effectively manage our resources. Is a technology going to provide us with cost savings, and has it been proven?”

The city has already begun its work toward sensible solutions. Sensors alert the city when preventative maintenance is needed on anything from sanitation trucks to code enforcement vehicles. Getting smart about repurposing components for mapping and ESRI kits has saved Memphis $2 million and reduced its waste.

Read more here.