KT, Cisco partner on smart-city projects
Korean telecommunications service provider and Cisco announced a global strategic collaboration to bridge the IT and communications markets.
The first initiative of this strategic collaboration is a minority investment from Cisco in kc smart service Co. (kcss), a KT subsidiary, which will offer managed services for smart buildings and smart city projects. kcsmart service is expected to be fully operational by January 2012. The companies have executed agreements that establish the framework for their collaboration, enabling kcsmart service to have the ability to incorporate the technologies and tools of KT and Cisco.
The collaboration with KT is also aligned closely to several of Cisco’s five priorities, including core networks and services, architectures and cloud computing.
Launching a Suite of Smart Services
- KT will be in charge of the overall operations management ofkcss, which will be headquartered in Korea. kcsswill initially target 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, China and Southeast Asia, with a focus on smart cities, buildings and tenant services.
- kcss will utilize KT’s developed smart-space combined platform Ubi-Cahn (Ubiquitous City Administration Hub with Network)and Cisco’s Unified Service Delivery Platform, which together offer a comprehensive blueprint for smart buildings and smart cities.
- Through its application of Ubiquitous Sensor Networks, Broadband Convergence Networks, and Machine-to-Machine technology, kcss will design new spaces that address all aspects of city life from parks to buildings.
- kcss will initially offer three types of services. The first service, named Smart City, has the goal of designing and managing new spaces that cover many aspects of city life. These include traffic control systems, transportation, electricity, water and other utilities management, fire services, and facilities management.
- The second service, Smart Building, focuses on the construction of wireless network infrastructure for the internal and external aspects of a building, incorporating the implementation of the Building Intelligence System (BIS) and Building Automation System (BAS).
- Smart Tenant, the third service, provides solutions customized to the needs of landlords and tenants, including key services such as energy management, digital signage, public safety systems, and car park management.
- Two other areas that KT and Cisco are exploring collaborating in are business-to-business services and cloud computing. KT has already started putting in place the essential building blocks through a robust communications infrastructure for a solutions ecosystem that will help enable small and medium-sized businesses to expand their businesses beyond their home countries.
