Indian IT company Tech Mahindra has joined forces with The Open University (OU) and Milton Keynes Council in leading the charge in the United Kingdom's smart cities revolution, in an agreement which will see the parties work closely together in researching key areas behind smart cities.
Smart cities harness the power of big data to improve the running of key services such as energy and transport, making them more reliable and efficient. The new partnership will focus its efforts on: Energy; Transportation; Electric vehicles; Connected networks; and Internet of Things.
Milton Keynes is already a pioneer in the smart cities field, having been invited to join a government-led forum along with just four other cities around the UK. As a leading institution with a strong track-record of harnessing the latest technology to benefit its students and business, the OU was chosen by Tech Mahindra as a commercial ally, working together on bids for digital projects such as Internet of Things and driverless cars.
Commenting on the partnership, CP Gurnani, managing director and CEO o fTech Mahindra said: "Our unique combination of capabilities in both the Communications and Enterprise domains positions us well in the Digital marketplace. We are excited to be part of this ambitious vision and eager to transform Milton Keynes to a smart city." He added, "This partnership brings skills from both academia and the commercial world which will deliver great benefits in furthering research in our increasingly digitised and connected world."
"The Open University has been leading the way in terms of exploiting the latest technology since we were established over four decades ago,” said Pro vice-chancellor for Research at the Open University, Professor Tim Blackman. “The whole area of smart cities is incredibly exciting, so joining forces with an organisation with the capability of Tech Mahindra is a great boost in terms of developing innovative solutions. This will make a real difference to the way people interact with their surroundings - from how we consume energy to the way we get about."
Councillor Pete Marland of Milton Keynes Council said: "By harnessing the latest technology and drawing on data available to us, smart cities have enormous potential to revolutionise the way we live our lives. But more than this, the Smart City industry is predicted to be worth some US$400 billion by 2020, with the UK aiming to corner 10 per cent of this market. This partnership is great news for the UK, but as one of the country's smart city pioneers, Milton Keynes stands to be one of the big winners in this exciting and expanding sector."
Smart cities harness the power of big data to improve the running of key services such as energy and transport, making them more reliable and efficient. The new partnership will focus its efforts on: Energy; Transportation; Electric vehicles; Connected networks; and Internet of Things.
Milton Keynes is already a pioneer in the smart cities field, having been invited to join a government-led forum along with just four other cities around the UK. As a leading institution with a strong track-record of harnessing the latest technology to benefit its students and business, the OU was chosen by Tech Mahindra as a commercial ally, working together on bids for digital projects such as Internet of Things and driverless cars.
Commenting on the partnership, CP Gurnani, managing director and CEO o fTech Mahindra said: "Our unique combination of capabilities in both the Communications and Enterprise domains positions us well in the Digital marketplace. We are excited to be part of this ambitious vision and eager to transform Milton Keynes to a smart city." He added, "This partnership brings skills from both academia and the commercial world which will deliver great benefits in furthering research in our increasingly digitised and connected world."
"The Open University has been leading the way in terms of exploiting the latest technology since we were established over four decades ago,” said Pro vice-chancellor for Research at the Open University, Professor Tim Blackman. “The whole area of smart cities is incredibly exciting, so joining forces with an organisation with the capability of Tech Mahindra is a great boost in terms of developing innovative solutions. This will make a real difference to the way people interact with their surroundings - from how we consume energy to the way we get about."
Councillor Pete Marland of Milton Keynes Council said: "By harnessing the latest technology and drawing on data available to us, smart cities have enormous potential to revolutionise the way we live our lives. But more than this, the Smart City industry is predicted to be worth some US$400 billion by 2020, with the UK aiming to corner 10 per cent of this market. This partnership is great news for the UK, but as one of the country's smart city pioneers, Milton Keynes stands to be one of the big winners in this exciting and expanding sector."
