Before turning to costly technology cities can begin to unlock the value of the data they already have, writes Milly Zimeta, head of public policy at the Open Data Institute. Sponsored comment from the Open Data Institute.
In recent years there has been a lot of focus on creating smart cities that make strong use of digital technologies to optimise services and create efficiencies.
Many cities worldwide have invested in technology such as smart energy systems in homes, smart lighting, intelligent transport and more in order to enable precise and real-time information for understanding and solving challenges.
But smart cities require upfront investment in hardware. This can exclude local authorities that cannot afford it. For example, multinational IT company Cisco recently decided to halt sales and start to withdraw support for its own smart city programme, Cisco Kinetic for City, as enthusiasm waned and the pandemic affected public sector spending.
Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS) are both providers of cloud security, though Cisco s roots are in networking platforms. Over the last few years, the shift toward cloud computing has affected these two tech companies differently, and their stocks have moved in opposite directions. Since 2018, Zscaler has surged over 1,200%, while shares of Cisco are down roughly 2%. But where should investors put their money today value or growth?
Cisco: The value investment
Cisco is perhaps best known for its core networking business, which includes hardware (switches, routers, and wireless access points) alongside embedded software solutions that help clients manage networks in data center and enterprise (campus) environments.
Smart City Platform Market to Witness Huge Growth by 2027 | Cisco Systems, Siemens, Hitachi sandiegosun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sandiegosun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Cisco Reportedly Scraps Plans for Smart Cities Business
Cisco decides to stop sales for its Cisco Kinetic for City program.
Author:
Cisco Systems (
CSCO) - Get Report reportedly has scrapped its effort to help digitize modern cities as the communications equipment giant contends with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Shares of the San Jose, Calif.-based company were rising slightly in premarket trading Tuesday to $45.
A company spokesman told The Wall Street Journal that Cisco recently decided to stop sales and eventually support [for] the Cisco Kinetic for City product line to align our product investment to evolving market needs and customer requirements.