A group of high tech companies including Intel, Cisco, Dell, IBM and SAP have started a 'Digital Communities' program to build 13 electronically connected communities in cities around the world. Westminster in London is one of the sites selected for the program, which will include attempts to automate tasks for council workers, build better links between schools in the area, and monitor vehicle locations. Other sites include Taipei in Taiwan, Cleveland, Ohio and Monaco.
"The scale of this exciting project is unprecedented both in terms of its size and in terms of the area’s strategic importance," said Clive Ansell, BT London regional director, who is involved in the Westminster project.
"We are delighted to be part of this innovative partnership delivering a wireless network that will provide a secure and resilient communications infrastructure across the borough."
Westminster is already one of the most advanced councils in Britain, with a wide area Wi-Fi network already in place that links CCTV cameras and council workers to their office while on the move.
In Taiwan, Taipei is setting up an online university offering 700 classes and has also completed an electronic document handling system for local government that handles 400,000 documents a month.
Autor: Iain Thomson
Quelle: VNunet, 19.08.2005
