Deutsche Telekom and IBM Collaborate to Help Build Smarter Cities

BONN, Germany and ARMONK, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Deutsche Telekom and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today a collaboration to provide an integrated solutions portfolio that enables cities to make smarter use of their services through intelligent data capture and analysis. The Smarter Cities solutions will build on IBM's expertise from thousands of smarter city engagements combined with Deutsche Telekom's global Machine-to-Machine (M2M) capabilities, which include M2M solutions integration and advanced network connectivity.

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The M2M communication technology facilitates the automated exchange of information between terminal equipment such as machines, vehicles and containers or with a central control center - creating an interconnectivity often referred to as the "Internet of Things." By using sensors embedded in a wide array of systems serving the public -- such as a traffic lights, public transport vehicles or parking spaces -- M2M technology can report on the status of the system being monitored via the Internet in real-time. Combining this technology with IBM's Smarter Cities expertise will enable intelligent, real-time decision-making allowing for services such as intelligent traffic management, route optimization, bus or train arrival prediction, and parking space management.

The Smarter Cities solutions from Deutsche Telekom and IBM will notably benefit municipalities as they deliver significant cost efficiencies through better use of their existing infrastructure and improved planning of resources. This will help cities more quickly design and deploy next-generation intelligence systems that improve sustainability. It will also improve the quality of life for citizens, who will be able to anticipate traffic delays and bus or train arrivals when travelling, find public parking spots more easily, and gain improved access to a wide array of relevant city information and services, for example.