Leading cities are mining data for economic gold

Michael Dixon*, General Manager of Smarter Cities, IBM, looks at how analytics are offering cities more cost effective levels of service

The bustling Dutch city of Eindhoven is a fast-growing centre of commerce. Traffic, however, is a challenge as several international transport routes converge in or near this regional hub of 250,000 residents.

But while the number of vehicles is increasing, congestion may soon be on the decline, thanks to a pilot programme that gathers real-time information from vehicles. The data–collected anonymously via in-car sensors–is transmitted to and analysed by local traffic authorities, enabling them to resolve road construction issues faster, reduce congesti...