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UK-based Juniper Research has released its top 10 technology predictions for 2014 and No. 1 on its list is “when cities get smarter.” Juniper trends document covers a range of fields, from smart cities to education, from wearable devices to 3D printing, where they believe there will be significant activity ‘“ be that adoption or disruption ‘“ over the next 12 months.
2014: When Cities Get Smarter
The idea of connecting every physical object to the Internet and communicating with each other is not new, but there has been an ever increasing activity within the industry over the past 12 months towards enabling a well-connected infrastructure via the evolution of efficient and intelligent systems. As technology continue to enable a more economic and efficient living for the urban population next year, the need for municipal authorities to cut carbon footprints and reduce overall expenditure will provide additional pressures.
Smart cities look to address key issues arising from this evolution via efficient and intelligent systems including: ticketing applications, transport management, municipal management, smart metering and others including healthcare.
There are already a number of high-profile urban testbeds for smart technology, notably Singapore, Barcelona and Nice, where the introduction of connected sensors has improved parking, lighting and environmental monitoring. Juniper anticipates that the next 12 months will see a host of other cities follow suit, resulting not only in increased efficiencies but also in the provision of new business for the population.
Top Ten Tech Predictions for 2014
1. 2014: When Cities Get Smarter
2. mAgri to Build on mPayment Success in Developing Markets
3. The Watershed Year for Wearables
4. iPads & Tablets Flourish in Educational Settings
5. Mobile Fitness Devices Diversify into mHealth Arenas
6. Global 4G LTE Subscribers to double in 2014, as 4G LTE-Advanced roll out increases
7. Context Awareness in Mobile Computing Gathers Pace
8. Disruption in the Home Gaming Market
9. The Cloud Becomes Personal
10. 3D Printer Shipments to Surge
View the Top Ten Tech Predictions for 2014