This puts a strain on the city, which was founded in the 16th century and has an underground system that is over 100 years old. So officials turned to the very latest technology to get things moving again.
To help ensure that commuters get to work on time, officials developed apps that combine the very latest mobile technology with government data.
“A lot of people are used to traveling by car, and it can be difficult to get them to consider other options,” explains Ignacio Viale of software developer Kwan, a Microsoft Partner Network member called on by the city. Two key apps, he says, “are BA Movil and Ba Como Llego, which provide up-to-date information about traffic, parking and public transit options within Buenos Aires. Users can set up the apps to receive notifications about traffic conditions in the morning, or they can use them during the day to query available options when they need to get somewhere.”
The apps are already helping users find new citizens and tourists to navigate the city. “I know one user who has changed the way he commutes as a result of the apps,” says Viale. “He used to park in the office garage, and the last part of his drive was always severely congested. By using BA Movil, he located a free city-run bicycle lending station 20 blocks from the office. He now parks there and bikes the rest of the way, which saves him a lot of time.”
Officials even bundled these apps into a custom City Phone - a Nokia Lumia smartphone with them pre-installed.
Dashboard of data
Efficiency is vital in a city as busy as Buenos Aires. And its government is also busy: having more than 100,000 employees.
To manage the workings of such a large organisation, city administrators need to access information from a variety of sources. The city worked with a local consultant to build the City Dashboard, which brings together data from the city’s key technology systems - including customer relationship management and project management systems - along with social media channels, into a comprehensive digital summary of everything from the current temperature to the status of citizen complaints.
The map combines Excel spreadsheets with mapping information and database software. “The volume of information processed by the dashboard is huge,” one of the developers explains. “Every day it processes more than 70,000 new reports, complaints and other items. The system provides real-time data to key city administrators and information analysts to help them efficiently and effectively monitor projects and make informed decisions, both in the office and on mobile devices.”
Buenos Aires may be a city with hundreds of years of history and heritage, but its officials are determined to make it modern. Using mobile apps and big data systems, they’re well on their way to streamlining government, improving information access, and modernising the Argentinian capital.
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Quelle/Source: futureGov, 10.09.2014
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