Several companies' approaches to SITS development from a smart systems or system-of-systems perspective are outlined throughout the rest of this section.
IBM
Developing smart systems that enable cities to become more sustainable is a huge opportunity for IT firms. IBM's Smarter Planet initiative brings together the best thinking of business, government and society to create smart system solutions for sustainable development, societal progress and economic growth. To better manage the urban environment, IBM adopts a system-of-systems approach. This initiative's focus is to make energy, transportation, cities, business systems and organizations more intelligent and sustainable. IBM is developing smart system sustainable IT solutions to manage data centres, Smart Grids, smart cities, renewable energy, water systems, green buildings, health care, intelligent communities, railroad operations, supply chains and highway systems for energy conservation, climate protection, safety and healthy living. IBM has also undertaken initiatives for clean tech product designs, packaging, recycling and product end-of-life management. The key elements of the smart system are the infrastructure, equipment, sensors and software that make up the network, data collection and analytical capability as well as the software that delivers the service. In the short run, the biggest impact on sustainability is to make old infrastructure run better, but the learning that takes place will inform the development of future cities. IBM has leveraged its early leadership in IT services to become the leader in the development and delivery of SITS-based solutions.
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco has launched a Smart+Connected Communities initiative to transform physical communities to connected communities for the purpose of achieving the CS goals of economic, social and environmental sustainability. The Cisco approach is to use intelligent networking capabilities to integrate services, community assets, information and people into a single pervasive solution: services delivered anytime and anywhere. Echoing John Gage's assertion that the 'network is the computer', Cisco promotes the network as the platform for the development and delivery of services that transform physical communities to connected communities. The network will constitute the foundation for the city of the future by enabling services for buildings, transportation, utilities, security, entertainment, education and health care to name a few applications. Everything is connected, intelligent and green. One hoped-for outcome is that citizens and businesses will have unprecedented levels of collaboration, productivity and economic growth without compromising the environment.
With the network as the delivery platform, Cisco envisions eight service experiences.
1. The Home Experience enables consumers to access and manage services from their homes, or wherever they choose. Dimensions of the Home Experience include small business and entrepreneurship opportunities, entertainment, fitness, energy and water consumption, health care and online education.
2. The Office Experience offers energy, security, telecommunications, mobile and IT systems management services as well as other applications associated with office operations and building management.
3. The Wellness Experience uses the Cisco Medicinal Grade Network to simplify communications between doctors and patients. This includes electronic clinical records, images and virtual doctor visits using Cisco's video collaboration technology. The idea is to provide a care-at-a-distance experience that creates a live face-to-face experience with greater convenience, better access and faster point-of-care deployment.
4. The Learning Experience enables online learning with integrated video technology.
5. The Shopping Experience combines shopping, entertainment and social dimensions to enhance onsite mall shopping. It involves reserved parking, real-time personalized sales incentives at specific stores or mall-wide, car or home delivery of purchases and reserved babysitting.
6. The Travel Experience helps communities manage road traffic flows using mobile command centres. Solutions involve rerouting, real-time transit information and parking reservations. The goal is to integrate all modes of transportation and travel accommodations with businesses and individuals over a mobile-enabled network.
7. The Fan Experience enables sports fans to connect with their favourite teams through interactive and personalized services. Fans can buy or upgrade tickets, view customized video feeds, order food, purchase merchandise and interact with other fans at the event by using their mobile phone.
8. The Government Experience facilitates engagement between citizens and government. The network enables access to information and fast links to government services, both face-to-face and online.
Cisco's first Smart+Connected Community is Songdo City near Seoul, Korea. The project is a showcase for green technology as well as a test bed for the Cisco smart 'experiences'.
Siemens AG
Siemens has an 'IT for sustainability' SITS-oriented service line for data centre efficiency, energy management, building, industrial automation, Smart Grids, smart meters, electro-mobility (electric care software engineering) and cloud computing. It is one of only a few companies to offer fully featured SITS models that integrate IT processes and software services.
HP
HP has identified four topics on which it focusses its CS efforts: energy, health care, education and supply chains. Global citizenship is one of HP's seven corporate objectives. It engages with customers, NGOs, governments, regulators and other stakeholders to share views, discuss best practices, develop standards and influence policy decisions. It efforts span the full range of CS dimensions: economic, environment, compliance, ethics, philanthropy and social responsibility. HP uses sustainable design principles for its products, works with suppliers to reduce environmental footprints, practices green IT energy strategies for energy use in data centres and business operations and follows product life cycle management (reuse, recycling, end of life and e-waste). The company launched the Global Workplace Initiative to reduce its physical footprint, use resources more efficiently and reduce HP's climate impact. It markets SITS solutions for materials management, facilities management, energy efficiency, water and wastewater management, video collaboration, employee travel and commuting management, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and distribution, warehouse management, imaging and printing and sustainable building design.
Intel Corporation
Intel has been a leader in green IT initiatives for over a decade. It has effective programmes for energy and water use efficiency, emissions, hazardous materials, energy-efficient products, recycling and electronic waste. The company also takes an active role in ensuring labour, safety and environmental responsibility for its supply chain members. Social responsibility programmes are targeted at education quality, the digital divide and workforce diversity. The company has embraced cloud computing and software as service applications. As this process matures Intel, which is placing increased emphasis on software and service development, should be in a position to offer SITS solutions to its customers and supply chain members.
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft has developed numerous products and solutions to address green IT issues with SITS-oriented applications for energy-efficient computing, environmental management, green data centres, environmental dashboards and BI solutions for sustainability initiatives. The OneLab initiative consolidated several of the company's development labs to save energy and increase operational efficiency. Microsoft also offers solutions for unified communications, travel management, fleet management, supply chain and transportation.
Oracle
Oracle has developed environmental sustainability management software solutions for manufacturers and commercial facilities. Their Sustainability Sensor Data Management solutions help organizations monitor energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental factors. The system uses smart meters, building management systems and data analysis to deliver comprehensive visibility of real-time environmental performance.
Google
Google has a sustainability programme that is green IT oriented. They have developed initiatives for carbon neutrality, green data centres, green workplaces and renewable energy. SITS-like applications are few. Of note is the Google Earth Engine, a database of images that supports the development of systems to monitor, report and verify changes in the environment such as deforestation, floods, droughts, glaciers and other factors associated with climate change. Google PowerMeter provides consumers with access to detailed information about their home energy use throughout the day in association with utilities such as San Diego Gas & Electric. Google also has invested in geothermal, hydro, wind and solar energy and plug-in vehicles.
Apple
Apple has internal green IT programmes for energy efficiency, limiting GHG emissions, material efficiency, restricted substances, recycling and supplier responsibility across its supply chain. No SITS-oriented initiatives are mentioned on its Web site.
Samsung
Samsung has a well-developed green IT approach to sustainability. It has an Eco-Innovation programme for energy efficiency, water use, pollution and hazardous substance control, green operations, product design, recycling, waste management and health and safety. Social responsibility initiatives involve low-income families and youth, local community projects, and partnerships with NGOs and governments for social development projects. Samsung does not have identifiable SITS initiatives.
Pachube
Pachube.com a London start-up, bills itself as helping users connect to build the Internet of Things. It has developed a SITS-oriented service that enables users to share sensor data that they use to build smart services. One user uploaded temperature readings from his office and used Pachube's system to control his cooling fan. Users share data and apps. Users who want to use Pachube's system to build proprietary mobile and Web applications are charged a fee.
SeeClickFix
SeeClickFix is an app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry smartphones that allows citizen users to report things that need a solution to neighbourhood groups, news outlets, government agencies and NGOs. It uses smart phones and their users in a remote-sensing 'crowdsourcing' model to get things done. This smart system application could be readily adaptable as a platform for SITS-oriented environmental or social responsibility data collection. It could speed up the identification of problems and development of CS solutions.
Siemens has an 'IT for sustainability' SITS-oriented service line for data centre efficiency, energy management, building, industrial automation, Smart Grids, smart meters, electro-mobility (electric care software engineering) and cloud computing. It is one of only a few companies to offer fully featured SITS models that integrate IT processes and software services.
HP
HP has identified four topics on which it focusses its CS efforts: energy, health care, education and supply chains. Global citizenship is one of HP's seven corporate objectives. It engages with customers, NGOs, governments, regulators and other stakeholders to share views, discuss best practices, develop standards and influence policy decisions. It efforts span the full range of CS dimensions: economic, environment, compliance, ethics, philanthropy and social responsibility. HP uses sustainable design principles for its products, works with suppliers to reduce environmental footprints, practices green IT energy strategies for energy use in data centres and business operations and follows product life cycle management (reuse, recycling, end of life and e-waste). The company launched the Global Workplace Initiative to reduce its physical footprint, use resources more efficiently and reduce HP's climate impact. It markets SITS solutions for materials management, facilities management, energy efficiency, water and wastewater management, video collaboration, employee travel and commuting management, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and distribution, warehouse management, imaging and printing and sustainable building design.
Intel Corporation
Intel has been a leader in green IT initiatives for over a decade. It has effective programmes for energy and water use efficiency, emissions, hazardous materials, energy-efficient products, recycling and electronic waste. The company also takes an active role in ensuring labour, safety and environmental responsibility for its supply chain members. Social responsibility programmes are targeted at education quality, the digital divide and workforce diversity. The company has embraced cloud computing and software as service applications. As this process matures Intel, which is placing increased emphasis on software and service development, should be in a position to offer SITS solutions to its customers and supply chain members.
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft has developed numerous products and solutions to address green IT issues with SITS-oriented applications for energy-efficient computing, environmental management, green data centres, environmental dashboards and BI solutions for sustainability initiatives. The OneLab initiative consolidated several of the company's development labs to save energy and increase operational efficiency. Microsoft also offers solutions for unified communications, travel management, fleet management, supply chain and transportation.
Oracle
Oracle has developed environmental sustainability management software solutions for manufacturers and commercial facilities. Their Sustainability Sensor Data Management solutions help organizations monitor energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental factors. The system uses smart meters, building management systems and data analysis to deliver comprehensive visibility of real-time environmental performance.
Google has a sustainability programme that is green IT oriented. They have developed initiatives for carbon neutrality, green data centres, green workplaces and renewable energy. SITS-like applications are few. Of note is the Google Earth Engine, a database of images that supports the development of systems to monitor, report and verify changes in the environment such as deforestation, floods, droughts, glaciers and other factors associated with climate change. Google PowerMeter provides consumers with access to detailed information about their home energy use throughout the day in association with utilities such as San Diego Gas & Electric. Google also has invested in geothermal, hydro, wind and solar energy and plug-in vehicles.
Apple
Apple has internal green IT programmes for energy efficiency, limiting GHG emissions, material efficiency, restricted substances, recycling and supplier responsibility across its supply chain. No SITS-oriented initiatives are mentioned on its Web site.
Samsung
Samsung has a well-developed green IT approach to sustainability. It has an Eco-Innovation programme for energy efficiency, water use, pollution and hazardous substance control, green operations, product design, recycling, waste management and health and safety. Social responsibility initiatives involve low-income families and youth, local community projects, and partnerships with NGOs and governments for social development projects. Samsung does not have identifiable SITS initiatives.
Pachube
Pachube.com a London start-up, bills itself as helping users connect to build the Internet of Things. It has developed a SITS-oriented service that enables users to share sensor data that they use to build smart services. One user uploaded temperature readings from his office and used Pachube's system to control his cooling fan. Users share data and apps. Users who want to use Pachube's system to build proprietary mobile and Web applications are charged a fee.
SeeClickFix
SeeClickFix is an app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry smartphones that allows citizen users to report things that need a solution to neighbourhood groups, news outlets, government agencies and NGOs. It uses smart phones and their users in a remote-sensing 'crowdsourcing' model to get things done. This smart system application could be readily adaptable as a platform for SITS-oriented environmental or social responsibility data collection. It could speed up the identification of problems and development of CS solutions.
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