REDMOND, Wash. — July 10, 2013 —
At the Worldwide Partner Conference today, Microsoft Corp. announced
CityNext, a global initiative empowering cities, businesses and citizens
to re-imagine their futures and cultivate vibrant communities. Cities
are centers of industrial, economic and entrepreneurial activity that
fuel the rest of the world’s success. But cities increasingly encounter
compelling forces, such as rapid urbanization, modernization mandates,
and economic austerity pressures. Microsoft CityNext offers cities a
vast and diverse Microsoft Partner Network
of more than 430,000 technology experts across the globe to innovate
today and create a better tomorrow. Leveraging a broad portfolio of
familiar and security-enhanced consumer to business software, devices
and services and Microsoft’s history of successful education and social
programs, CityNext is a collective effort that enables cities and their
people to accomplish what’s next.
“Cities play a vital role in our lives — both now and in the future.
Microsoft’s CityNext initiative puts people first and builds on this new
era of collaborative technology to engage citizens, business and
government leaders in new ways,” said Laura Ipsen, corporate vice
president of Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector. “Working with our vast
Microsoft Partner Network, we can scale solutions and services to do
‘New with Less,’ enabling cities to better compete in the global
marketplace, drive citizen engagement, and foster economic, social and
environmental sustainability.”
Transforming operations and infrastructure
CityNext helps leaders make the most of their existing investments to
find new ways to overcome challenges and reach their goals. With the new
era of innovation, cities can enable new capabilities using flexible
cloud services, empower city employees with enterprise-grade devices and
apps, and innovate on their terms with modern solutions and big data
platforms. This innovation can allow critical information to flow
seamlessly between municipal departments and among government,
businesses and citizens, driving efficiencies that can let cities put
more resources back into the community.
CityNext brings together an ecosystem of partner solutions, devices
and services that can connect and transform a variety of city functions,
including the following:
• Energy and water
• Buildings, planning and infrastructure
• Transportation
• Public safety and justice
• Tourism, recreation and culture
• Education
• Health and social services
• Government administration
CityNext customer Barcelona, Spain — long recognized as a digital
innovator — has successfully harnessed cloud, data and apps to enhance
administrative operations, interact with citizens and make information
transparent. For example, Microsoft and CityNext partner BISmart worked
with the Barcelona City Council to launch OpenData BCN,
an initiative to make data accessible to the public. Using the Windows
Azure cloud, the OpenData BCN platform aggregates myriad facts about the
city — such as population density and total unemployment — into a
central hub with enhanced security. Citizens then can download the bigov Better City Indicators app
from the Windows Store and monitor fluctuations in real time.
Barcelonans now have access to information to make decisions on topics
such as where to start a business and where to settle down with their
families.
“We’ve been working with Microsoft for many years and have witnessed
tremendous innovation across government, enterprise and citizen services
through cloud technology and devices. Yet, even more can be done to
engage Barcelonans and enhance citizens’ experiences,” said Xavier
Trias, mayor of Barcelona. “We will continue to collaborate closely with
Microsoft and leverage cutting-edge technology, services and programs
that will make Barcelona a better place to live, work, visit and
thrive.”
Engaging citizens and businesses
Citizens and businesses expect access to and interaction with city
governments through apps and the devices of their choice — anytime,
anywhere. With Microsoft’s software, device and services platform,
cities can deliver personalized services and apps with a people-centric
approach, enable real-time dialogue via social media, and spur app
development and economic growth with open data initiatives, resulting in
better-served and engaged constituents.
Microsoft CityNext partner Socrata Inc., a cloud software company
leading the shift to data-driven government, is working with Microsoft
to bring open data technologies to cities worldwide on the Windows Azure
cloud platform. For example, Socrata offers governments customizable
dashboards. Citizens can access their cities’ dashboards through mobile
devices or the Internet and monitor how their leaders are performing in
areas such as education, healthcare and job creation. City leaders can
engage with citizens in real time, incorporate public demands into their
decision-making processes and ensure that they respond to their
communities’ most pressing needs. In turn, governments can bring data
and citizen feedback into every decision, fostering greater transparency
and community participation.
“The forward-looking CityNext initiative addresses a
once-in-a-generation global shift currently taking place in government:
opening up government data and using it to enhance citizen services,”
said Kevin Merritt, CEO and founder at Socrata. “Through simple,
familiar apps and devices, governments can now engage everyone,
everywhere. We are already seeing incredible progress and, in
partnership with Microsoft, will enable global leaders to make sound
decisions, drive efficiencies and help them meet citizen demands for
ubiquitous access to information.”
Accelerating innovation and opportunity
Cities will not only realize full transformation through technology
but also through nurturing the creativity of their most important
resource — human capital. Microsoft and partners offer a variety of
skills-based programs that educate students and teachers, foster
business development, and empower citizens to join a competitive
workforce. Around the world, these programs have helped millions of city
residents cultivate a brighter future for themselves and their cities.
For example, Microsoft programs YouthSpark, BizSpark and IT Academy
encourage youth to join a growing workforce, support entrepreneurs’
bold ideas and create skilled workers that help cities compete in the
global marketplace.
Visionary cities
Cities are already on their journey toward modernizing today. In fact,
several visionary cities have stepped forward to embark with Microsoft
and CityNext partners on this journey to identify and create what is
next for their communities. Led by motivated, forward-looking leaders,
these cities are taking an important step to better serve citizens and
realize the potential of tomorrow through cross-functional collaboration
that increases efficiencies, reduces costs and fosters a more
sustainable environment.
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Barcelona, Spain
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
• Hamburg, Germany
• Manchester, England
• Moscow, Russia
• Philadelphia, United States of America
• Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China
“Today’s cities know they must tackle urban challenges through
coordinated and focused investments that enable collaboration across
departments and agencies, leverage existing assets, engage citizens and
stakeholders, and tackle long-standing problems,” said Ruthbea Yesner
Clarke, director of the Smart Cities Strategies program at IDC.
“According to IDC’s Smart City Maturity Model, many cities are now in
the first stages of implementing smart technology solutions as part of a
10- to 15-year path to realizing full transformation potential. The
result of ‘smart city’ initiatives will ultimately enable cities to
attract businesses and citizens to build more vibrant city landscapes
and competitive economies.”
More information about CityNext is available at http://www.microsoft.com/citynext/.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news.
Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of
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journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or
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