ch 9 : “I.B.M. Tries to Help Cities Work Smarter”{0}
Similar to businesses, local governments are struggling with data surplus. Diverse information such as building permits, Medicaid cases and foster-care placement are gathered by different government agencies. This can be extremely difficult to determine which data can be used for improvements. Technology can be very useful tool to sort through the information and decipher a good use of the data. This process of data mining can help solve some issues for local government. Collecting data does not help if that is all that is done. It must be taken one step further by data mining the information.
The city of New York is a pioneer when it comes to data mining to improve services. Starting in the 1990’s, the city of New York began using a data mining system called CompStat for mapping, identifying, and predicting crime. CompStat was designed by IBM. It helped reduce crime in New York City. It was so successful that other cities such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles adopted it. In 2002, the city implemented a “311” telephone number that answered questions about governmental services. It addressed complaints, reduced response time, and resolved problems. In 2006, New York City implemented an online service NYC Business Express. This service cut the time to obtain a business license from 40 days to 7 days. This way of operate is much more efficient and saves time. The city’s fire department is also working with IBM to map out floor plans, inspections and code violations of building. This allows firefighters to view this information on a hand-held device on the way to a fire. In Alameda County where there are millions of residents, the social services agency information to a single database where business intelligence knits together information on an individual. Different agencies are able to view an individual’s information on a single web page. Today I.B.M. and other technology companies see opportunities for business in helping local government build “smarter cities”.
I thought it is very unique how technology can aid in building a better city. It can help government services be more efficient and effective. It can help cities fight crime just as it is stated in the I.B.M. commercial. It really does help build smarter cities. I like this article because it shows how technology uses business intelligence and data mining improve cities. Also, local governments are understanding how to achieve good Customer Relationship Management with the residents.
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/business/11unboxed.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=business%20intelligence&st=cse