Networks for Smart Cities
Caravela is vendor and network agnostic. The best solution is the one that works best and costs little. Today’s cities are awash in different networks, both wired and wireless, each with merits and drawbacks. We sort through the choices and make sense of them in a Smart Cities context.
While the best Smart Cities deployments grow incrementally by adding new applications over time, it is imperative to put the basic network building blocks in place, to have a plan for what to do when, and to specifically identify what network resources are needed to make it a sustainable reality. It’s essential to have that kind of a partner.
What are the merits of an application that signals which network is appropriate?
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Does a signal need to penetrate a building from outside? Wi-Fi and 5G are poor choices where brick walls are a barrier.
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Does data need to arrive immediately? When life safety is at issue, only wired or cellular networks will do.
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Are a large number of sensors necessary, or is long battery life preferable? LoRa is the only realistic network choice for these applications.
Step 1
Communicate
Ensure a sensor communicates securely with a database over a secure network.
Step 2
Collect
Choose the right database to avoid major negative repercussions for data visualization and ability to work with the data..
Step 3
Visualize
Integrate your data into visualization tools or we can help you create your own custom software to suit your specific needs.
Step 4
Analyze
Glean insights, predict problems, avoid disasters, offer innovative services, reduce expenses, increase profits and more. What will your data help you do?
Data Visualization
Understanding what level of development is necessary in a visualization tool is essential. Software development is expensive.
If appropriate , Caravela will refer you to third-party software companies that bring Smart Cities IoT data to life with pre-built visualization tools. We can also consult on building a private dashboard using locally sourced developer talent.
If you want to start collecting data for future needs, then we will create the structure and gather it for you in an open source database that can integrate with any software solution without tethering you to a high-cost, proprietary software package and lengthy contract.
See an example dashboard we have made with weather and air quality data collected at our office in Milwaukee.
