Smart Cities
Asset Tracking, Monitoring and Recovery to help the Governments, Businesses and People of Today Create Smarter, Greener, Secure and More Connected Smart Cities for Tomorrow.
Are you building your Smart City through gradual upgrades, one service at a time? Or are you creating a long-term plan for transforming your critical infrastructure from the ground up?
Using the market-leading Orion Data Network RFID technology, New Forest Communications creates cost-effective, scalable, efficient and environmentally friendly asset protection and maintenance solution to suit the needs and budget of your Smart City and its residents.
NFC’s Orion Asset Management Solutions can reduce your Smart City costs by up to 75% more than regular GSM\CDMA solutions.
Smart City Challenges
Cities generate around 80% of the global GDP. Global governments’ commitment to creating a more efficient, cost-effective, greener way of living, has boosted the global Smart City market to around £200bn p.a. Some governments are embracing total transformation and others are introducing services like smart street lighting and electric vehicle charging, smart meters, smart waste management and smart signage one service at a time. In whatever way the infrastructure is growing, Smart Cities have similar goals and encounter similar issues during transformation as well as having challenges that are specific to the existing city’s location, architecture and infrastructure. The ideal is for all critical functions to be managed collectively and collaboratively, for growth to be organic and meet the needs of the residents and for the services to interact, share data and automatically learn patterns and behaviour to enable continuous improvement.
NFC Group is working with government organisations and corporates around the world to help urban environments become more sustainable – socially, environmentally and economically. Below we take a look at some of the Smart City challenges in more detail and give you an overview of how NFC’s RFID technology Orion Data Network can combat them to create a more connected, green and efficient environment.
Budget Constraints
When embarking on a Smart City transformation of any scale, governments and corporates working together frequently encounter budget, expertise, resource and time constraints. A Smart City transformation costs more money than creating a new city from scratch, so any solution that enables you to cut costs and boost efficiency should be seriously considered. The transformation is a period of enormous upheaval for residents. The greater visibility you have over your valuable assets and supply chain the smoother and more cost efficient the transition will be. Better visibility means you can ensure you have the right resources in the right place, predict maintenance schedules, and prevent loss, damage and theft.
Planning can be one of the most difficult stages. A successful Smart City plan must include a strong, data-driven Asset Management strategy with solutions that harness the latest, most cost-effective technology. New Forest Communications can help you with the conception, design and delivery of your Smart City Asset Management strategy so it’s built into your overall plan, giving you time and cost savings from the outset. Orion can reduce your Smart City costs by up to 75% more than regular GSM\CDMA solutions, while also reducing your carbon footprint.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Cities account for 70% of all greenhouse emissions globally, so the creators of Smart Cities are in a unique position to create a more sustainable way of living, and have a responsibility to do so. Orion enables optimal asset utilisation, which has a positive corollary effect of reducing carbon emissions in the area of deployment. Orion’s real-time asset data feedback also helps collaboration between government organisations and businesses, banishing silos and enabling resource and asset sharing for greater sustainability.
Common Goals
Collaboration and setting common goals are the cornerstones of a successful Smart City. It’s essential for all stakeholders to work towards the same goals. For most cities these are efficiency, sustainability and a better standard of living. Asset Management is an area that affects all stakeholders across all projects. The first step to successful asset management is getting decision-makers to buy-in to the strategy and work together. Orion’s real-time data includes information on location, performance, temperature, shock, damage and maintenance requirements and facilitates resource sharing and setting clearer common goals and KPIs throughout your ongoing Smart City transformation.
Eliminating Human Error
If you want to create a Smart City you need to ensure that your behind the scenes processes and procedures are smart and efficient too. This means automating wherever possible and reducing the potential for human error. In many cities asset audit, collection, inspection and maintenance is currently carried out manually with paper records and legacy systems and technology. A Smart City requires a more time and cost-efficient, centralised system with accurate, real-time data collection and customisable reporting that enables complete asset visibility at all times.
What is the Orion Data Network?
NFC Group understands the challenges faced by the modern city. Our cutting-edge, affordable Orion Data Network RFID technology reduces you Smart City’s costs and its carbon footprint. The Orion Data Network increases efficiency by simplifying data communications and reducing operational outgoing expenditure.
Orion’s unique technology carries data without relying on a mobile phone network, which means your City does not need to rely on SIM cards. Based on our experience in Asset Tracking, Inventory Management, Logistics, Network Infrastructure and many other related services, Orion offers a comprehensive solution that allows you to create a smart, safe, secure, efficient, greener and more vibrant city for tomorrow. Importantly Orion is extremely flexible and highly scalable, allowing you to decide what services you require and control the roll out in a way that suits your budget requirements.
Site Management
The Orion network provides simple yet cost-effective site management and access control solutions for your Smart City security and logistics requirements. The system is equally relevant for modernising existing infrastructure as well as developing new key sites. The Orion network is secure and cannot be jammed by cybersecurity hackers. There are three types of Gateways:
- The standard Ethernet version simply plugs directly into any existing internet infrastructure.
- We also offer a mobile gateway which runs over Orion coverage. This enables mobile network coverage for vehicles, planes and helicopters.
- We also provide a fully independent satellite solution for remote locations, providing you with truly global coverage.
Strategically installed Orion Gateways around key Smart City facility locations enables access control plus visibility and management solutions for your chosen assets. This includes mission-critical equipment, suppliers, contractors and employees anywhere throughout your Smart City and in other global locations.
Inventory Management
The Orion Security and Logistics Networks run in parallel allowing you to manage key assets on and off site whilst not being reliant on GSM network connectivity. With our long range active RFID tags you can monitor your assets according to predefined variables that match your Smart City strategy and KPIs, whether for asset productivity, or a security based application. You can tag containers and contents separately. Orion utilises both GPS and non-GPS tags. Both are heat and motion sensor enabled. In addition, we have switch tags for monitoring electrical equipment such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, door locks and windows. Orion real-time tracking means increased productivity and visibility, coupled with a solution for tracking and recovery of critical components – maintenance equipment and other valuables.
Asset Management
The Orion network enables industry standard SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) for your Smart City. The loss of mission-critical equipment can cause severe disruptions to the supply chain and have a major impact on time-lines and key deliverables throughout your Smart City transformation. Failing to meet KPI’s and SLA’s can incur large financial penalties, result in a loss in productivity and cause irreparable harm to your public or corporate image.
The tagging and tracking of key site equipment has become of paramount importance for building new Smart Cities and their associated infrastructure. The Orion network provides our clients with key data for documenting proof of concept, ‘just in time’ delivery and detailed logging of the exact installation points of various sub-contractors’ equipment, enabling total collaboration between suppliers.
To discover the features benefits and application of the Orion Data Network for Smart Cities, visit this page.
Orion Applications and Benefits for Smart Cities
Smart City Services
Utilities Smart Meters for Electricity, Water, Gas
Waste management – Recycling, Bin Collections
Smoke alarms – Public Institutions, Schools
Street lighting – Remote maintenance alerts
Maintenance Council housing, Public buildings
Smart Posters and Public Signage
Smart City Security
Cash in transit (CIT)
Asset theft prevention
High value asset tracking
Retail Tracking
Remote CCTV integration
ATM Tracking solutions
VIP security tracking
Smart City Infrastructure
Airports access control and inventory management
Site management GPS tags asset reduce theft and increases productivity
Shipping ports container optimization enhanced asset visibility
Traffic management speed control and congestion management
Rail/Metro Lines – Motion Sensitive tags prevent theft of high value railway cable
Smart City Healthcare
Hospitals (critical equipment, blood samples, test samples)
Patient care (elderly and vulnerable persons)
Educational (schools universities, equipment, health and safety)
Event management (concerts, gigs, sporting events, arts and crafts)
Pet tracking and health
Key Benefits
Motion Sensitive GPS tags prevent theft of railway cable and other high value assets
Parking optimisation, speed and vehicle access control
Orion Safe Zones reduce crime such as bicycle and motorised vehicle theft
Real-time smart tracking with predetermined data sets
Tags report every 30 seconds while moving and every 2 minutes when still
SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) compliant
Provides up to 75% in cost savings compared to other asset tracking solutions
Easily scalable to grow with your smart city
Ready-made and bespoke solutions to make every aspect of your city smarter
No reliance on SIM or mobile network
Automated to eliminate human error
Reduced your carbon footprint for a greener smart city
Start tracking your assets
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