Sufficient fresh water; universal access to
cleaner energy; the ability to travel efficiently from one point to another; a
sense of safety and security: these are the kinds of promises modern cities
must fulfil if they are to stay competitive and provide a decent quality of
life to their citizens.
Building a Smart City is highly complex.
Every city faces its own challenges and requires its own mix of solutions.
However, there is one common denominator that greatly simplifies this task.
International Standards support the development of tailor-made solutions that
can be adapted to the particular circumstances of a given city. They contain
expert knowledge and best practices, and are essential enablers in ensuring
quality and performance of products and services. In addition, they drive
compatibility between technologies and help users to compare and choose the
best solution available.
Standards also open the door to a larger
choice of products and services. They help increase competition and foster
innovation. In a systems approach they enable the integration of structures or
solutions from different suppliers.
International Standards make things work
safely and smoothly together at every level in cities. They provide the
foundation for electricity access and all the many devices and systems that use
electricity and contain electronics. They support the information and
communication technologies that enable data collection, exchange and analysis,
and information security. Last but not least they provide important guidance
for all aspects of city life, including energy-efficient buildings, intelligent
transportation, improved waste management, building sustainable communities and
much, much more.
With Standards, we can make our cities
smarter, step by step. Individual islands of smartness can grow together and
interconnect.
It is comforting to know that International
Standards will support smooth and integrated Smart City development.
