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IDC Government Insights has released a document highlighting market predictions on smart cities for the year ahead. The report summarizes a list of prioritized business drivers and technology trends for 2013.
The goal is to draw attention to events that exemplify strategic shifts that are reshaping the ways cities operate and that require the city leaders to make smart, and sometimes very difficult, decisions, says Ruthbea Yesner Clarke, research director, Smart City Strategies.
The Top 10 Predictions are:
1. In 2013, 70% of Worldwide Spending on Smart City Projects Will Be Focused on Energy, Transportation, and Public Safety, and 90% of These Will Be at Least Partially Funded by National or International Government.
2. At Least 50% of Smart City Programs Will Be Initiated at the Line-of-Business or City-Function Level.
3. Worldwide Spending on Smart Water Solutions Will Reach $1.8 Billion in 2013.
4. Smart City Information Challenges Will Begin to Be Framed as Big Data Issues.
5. Local Government Will Remain in the Research and Evaluation Stage Regarding Machine to Machine, with Growth in Very Specific City Functions Mostly for Medium-Sized to Large Cities.
6. Cities with Open Data Initiatives Will Drive 50% More Private, Citizen, and Crowdsourced Mobile Applications.
7. In 2013, Local Government Will Connect to Citizens via Mobile Devices and Social Media, Accelerating a New Type of Citizen/Government Relationship.
8. Smart City Programs Will Experiment with New Public/Private, Risk-Reward-Sharing Partnership Models to Make Funding Sustainable.
9. At Least Three More Tier 1 Global ICT Vendors Will Enter the Market with a Branded Smart City Solution, Leading to More Intense Competition Among Existing Players.
10. At Least 70% of Smart City Programs That Will Succeed Between 2013 and 2015 Will Be Governed by Joint Ventures That Include City Leaders as Key Stewards.
Source: IDC Government Insights