Smarter Planet
| Company type | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Smart infrastructure |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | IBM |
Key people | Sam Palmisano (Chairman and CEO at launch) |
| Products | Smart grids, advanced water management, traffic congestion solutions, environmentally friendly building designs |
| Owner | IBM |
Smarter Planet represents an initiative by IBM designed to foster cooperation among leaders from business, government, and civil society worldwide. Its goal is to drive economic advancement, operational efficiency, sustainable development, and social progress. The program emphasizes the application of technology and process optimization to create intelligent systems such as smart grids, advanced water management techniques, solutions for reducing traffic congestion, and environmentally friendly building designs. IBM’s approach integrates cutting-edge technology with efforts to influence policy decisions that support global intelligence enhancement.
History
The Smarter Planet initiative was unveiled in November 2008 when IBM's Chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano articulated a forward-looking vision at the Council on Foreign Relations. He highlighted the growing interconnectedness and intelligence embedded within worldwide systems and industries, pointing out opportunities for leadership to improve these frameworks. In January 2010, Palmisano expanded on this vision during a presentation at Chatham House titled "Decade of Smart," where he demonstrated projects implementing smarter systems to tackle significant global issues and urged continued innovation.
This initiative focuses on developing intelligent infrastructures such as power grids, food supply networks, water resource management, healthcare services, and traffic control through the integration of advanced technologies.
Advertising campaign
Between 2008 and 2009, IBM launched advertising campaigns in prominent newspapers including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, publishing essays that explored how various sectors could benefit from becoming "smarter" through technological advancements.
In January 2010, IBM showcased its technological solutions at Epcot's Innoventions, addressing issues like traffic congestion, crime prevention, food safety, and water availability. A video displayed on a 12-foot globe was produced by Christian Matts with editing by Ben Suenaga. Additionally, the Smarter Planet campaign provided support for presentations at TED Talks.
Smarter cities
Initiated in 2009, IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge assists large metropolitan areas in enhancing operational efficiency, lowering expenses, and improving residents' quality of life. Serving thousands of cities worldwide, the program spans sectors such as public safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure development, energy management, water resources, and environmental protection. It also encourages civic participation through the platform People4SmarterCities.com.
Key examples of implementation include:
- In 2015, Surat, India integrated an emergency response system powered by IBM technology to modernize its infrastructure.
- In 2010, Peterborough, UK adopted data visualization tools to foster improved collaboration and informed decision-making.
- In 2013, the police department of New Taipei City enhanced operational efficiency and public safety using an IBM solution.
- In 2013, Tucson, Arizona introduced smart metering combined with leak detection technologies to promote water conservation.
- Also in 2013, Digital Delta revolutionized Dutch water management by leveraging Big Data analytics.
See also
- CeNSE (a comparable initiative by HP)