Aseana City to offer smart services by 2014

MANILA, Philippines - A systems based network will make possible 24/7 safety and security services by next year and additional services thereafter Aseana Holdings Inc., developers of the 204-hectare emerging business and entertainment district by Manila Bay, announced that it will break ground in the last quarter of the year on its information and communication technology (ICT) backbone which will enable it to offer smart city or technology-enhanced services to locators and residents beginning 2014.

In keeping with rapid urbanization and the need for increased sustainability, Aseana City decided to offer this pioneering concept to its tenants and residents. The first phase of the project to be implemented by early next year will focus on public security and safety (PSS) services that make use of enhanced CCTV devices and license plate detectors. These smart city services will be a joint undertaking between Aseana Holdings and Centios, the technology provider. Centios is a partnership between Korea’s leading telecommunication service provider, Korea Telecom and Cisco, global leader in internetworking solutions, technology and services and Smart+Connected Communities.

Delfin “Buds” Wenceslao, Aseana Holdings Inc.’s managing director disclosed that the state-of-the-art security system operating 24/7 will consist of electronic surveillance machines that will  converge into an Integrated Operations Center (IOC).  Capital expenditures for the first phase of the system have already been approved.

He explained: “The system will allow the immediate identification of incidents and rapid response from concerned agencies.”

This kind of security system to be installed in Aseana City has served as a deterrent to illicit activities and enhanced quality of life in urban areas like Songdo City and other Korean communities that have relied on technology to enhance quality of life. These are called Ubiquitous Cities (U-cities) in Korea, according to Wenceslao. The heart of the system is the integrated operation center (IOC), the core infrastructure of a smart city.  The IOC consolidates all smart services into a single operating, controlling and monitoring arm.

The network will also be designed to include, in the near future, a transportation information service, a traffic control system, and digital information kiosks, among other services.

Jay H. Yu, president of Centios in the Philippines, said:  “Just as the Internet transformed our businesses and lives in general, we expect it to transform the quality of life for Metro Manilans in Aseana City.”

He explained that a city is made up of hundreds of different systems and protocols that usually do not interoperate. By enabling the systems to converge into a single open-systems based network, unsurpassed opportunities for productivity, growth and innovation in city services and operations can be achieved.