IBM has introduced a new cloud computing service that offers cities access to its IBM Intelligent Operations Center program without having to purchase and install the software on their computer systems. 

The IBM Intelligent Operations Center on Cloud is a software-as-a-service product that offers customers the opportunity to use the software to compile and analyze their extensive data and help optimize operations over a broad spectrum of municipal functions and departments. 

Rather than buying and installing the new software, customers pay for access to the IBM product online. That means the sole capital investment for a city would be for a workstation with a minimum of 2 GB of memory and a basic monitor. Use of the cloud service does require online access with enough bandwidth to handle continuous data updates and complex Web client generation. 

Michael Sullivan, IBM Smarter Water Solutions global manager, says, “The Intelligent Operations Center integrates and analyzes data (internal and external to the organization) from disparate systems to provide insights and visibility in an easily consumable way, across the entire network and the city. Our system is not just a dashboard but also provides users the ability to trigger workflows based on correlations and business rules, from the dashboard itself. There are a wealth of applications that can be put on top of this platform that drive even more value for cities by optimizing processes and turning organizations from being reactive to proactive.” 

Data already being collected by a customer’s employees can all be funneled to the Intelligent Operations Center and users can then set up reports that take into account individual events as well as interconnecting events across departmental lines and over time. 

The data analysis performed by the Intelligent Operations Center can track key performance indicators, adherence to standard operating procedures, workflows and specific conditions applying to each event. 

A user has the option to connect the Intelligent Operations Center to a wide array of applications from the IBM Smarter Cities library. 

One of the advantages of the cloud-based system, Sullivan says, is that it “uses open standards communications protocol and is able to ‘normalize’ data across disparate systems.” That means a city will not have to invest in software or hardware for departments that may be using different platforms. The cloud service also means city staff members will not have to maintain and update the software. Those functions are performed by IBM personnel. 

User data and reports are backed up on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in multiple physical locations on the IBM cloud platform, assuring security that a city’s valuable information can be restored in the event of equipment failure.