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Industry voice: A new report identifies how authorities can move on from pilots to wider implementation, writes Chris Perkins, head of UK public sector at Microsoft
It’s an exciting time in the use of digital technology for the public good, as the growing maturity of the internet of things (IoT) creates the promise of a new era in the management of public places and support for communities.
The growing array of sensors and devices is producing a deluge of data that, while it might appear overwhelming, can be harnessed to provide a long stream of improvements in the quality of life for the population of the UK.
But the movement is currently at the stage of producing numerous pilots and prototypes, and despite many demonstrating clear benefits, very few have been scaled up to wider implementation or widely shared beyond the originating authorities. There are complexities and challenges to face before adoption of the IoT become ‘business as usual’.
These have been identified in the new UKAuthority report, IoT in Smart Places, supported by Microsoft. It points to a consensus that that the technology is quickly improving to give organisations the flexibility for some trial and error in moving towards large implementations.
But it also highlights obstacles such as the need to create a convincing business case and strategy for managing the risks in an investment; concerns about the limitations of data standards to support the interoperability of systems; worries about protecting the multitude of connected devices from cyber threats; and the lack of a strong lead from the centre of government in ramping up the effort.
Positive lessons
None of these are insurmountable. Lessons are being learned for the creation of a business case, with an emphasis on steps such as identifying initiatives with a clear value and showing that IoT pilots contain factors relevant to other areas of activity.
There is some progress in the development of data standards, notably from the BSI, and in developing guidance for different elements of IoT implementations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has plans for guidance on security in the procurement of IoT technology, and the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport has published guidelines for the cyber security of consumer devices.
Some of the pioneer organisations in the field have shown a willingness to share what they have learned, and there have been calls for an open online forum for authorities to see what others have developed and what they could share, thereby reducing the duplication of effort. And there have been some efforts to provide a lead from the centre. The Connected Places Catapult has provided support in proving the viability of technology solutions, and NHS Digital has provided funds to support the wider take-up of proven assistive technology for social care.
Combined with these is the increasing recognition of how cloud based systems can provide a secure, flexible and scalable solution to pull together, manage and analyse the deluge of data from IoT devices. This is a crucial factor, as the real value of the technology is in the data it produces, providing authorities with new opportunities to integrate their operations with a place based approach.
They can interact with IoT and legacy systems, provide the security and adherence to standards that is so important, and the capacity to segment data within a platform. And as the cost of commodity cloud platforms comes down it reduces the financial risk and encourages experimentation.
Enabling evolution
These are the building blocks for scaling up from pilots to widespread implementation, and to enable a smart places infrastructure to evolve over time.
Microsoft is making its own contribution with the development of cloud and IoT solutions to support the movement. Services such as the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, Azure IoT Edge and IoT Hub provide the scope for authorities to harness and configure the data in line with local challenges and ambitions, while also making it available to share with partners and, if appropriate, the public.
This provides the scope for harnessing the potential of the potential of the IoT to build better connected communities and add a new dimension to many public services. Authorities are able to learn from the pioneers and make informed choices on the technology.
The time has come when it is possible to make the IoT ‘business as usual’.
You can download the full report, IoT in Smart Places, from here.
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For further information on how Microsoft technologies can help with safeguarding, contact industry solution leads for local & regional government at Microsoft, Helena Zaum and Ellen Wilson.
For further information on the research contact the UKAuthority research team.
Image from iStock
