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Within the next ten years, 27 megacities will have emerged and 21 of these will be in less-developed countries (source: Population Reference Bureau). As cities become more densely populated, the demand on infrastructure and resources grows and so does the need for a secure environment in which communities can thrive.
Public safety is an essential element for creating a smart city. Communication must be integrated between the control centre, field personnel and citizens so that it can be analysed and acted upon intelligently. This integration of communication networks allows for seamless collaboration between different agencies and results in more streamlined and efficient operations.
It is exactly what Motorola’s Smart Public Safety Solutions are designed to achieve - by transforming data from disparate networks and devices into real-time intelligence that can be disseminated rapidly in a mobile environment. So, instead of reacting when incidents occur, we can begin to predict and prevent them. But equally importantly, we can use this critical communication infrastructure to provide a platform for third-party developers to create applications that serve local needs.
Mobile intelligence improves with citizen engagement
Mobile technology and the Internet of Things have done wonders for citizen engagement – such as promoting transparency during elections by broadcasting the results as votes are counted to supporting accountability by allowing citizens to record and report incidents as they occur, as well as improving service delivery and emergency response. This allows citizens to be active participants in ensuring their own safety.
However, to really harness the power of smarter, safer cities, you need more than sophisticated technology: governments, humanitarian agencies and private organisations need to be able to work together to create a protected environment where local needs can be nurtured. To this end, Motorola Solutions is partnering with a number of third-party application developers to enable them to build on the existing infrastructure, helping countries to maximise their investment and bolster economic growth.
As an example - a citizen in need of help from a local agency activates the panic button on their smartphone app. Their location is identified using GPS co-ordinates and the most appropriate and closest responder is despatched. The responder is able to access the citizen’s details - such as medical information or emergency contact numbers, for example. This not only improves the speed and quality of emergency response: it can also be used for adapting the level of response according to the severity of the alert, thereby optimising the use of personnel.
But what if the caller is in a building where GPS doesn’t work? There is a complementary application which can pinpoint indoor location by capturing the electromagnetic fields which are unique to a particular building, based on WiFi networks. So the caller can be located easily, anywhere within the building.
Making call centres more efficient
Applications can also help to alleviate the load on call centres, where automated queuing systems may not result in the most urgent call being given priority. By streaming live video between the caller and the call centre and using sophisticated real-time video analytics such as Agent Vi, incoming calls can be screened for authenticity and prioritised according to the severity of the situation.
Expanding situational awareness and gathering vital data
Local citizens are becoming the eyes and ears of public safety and local government agencies. The value they can add as on-the-scene, real-time reporters has also recently been embraced by humanitarian organisations, with crowd-sourcing applications helping aid operations to assess - and respond to - disasters.
Using text, photos, videos and social media, citizens are able to alert their local municipality to broken water pipes, traffic incidents, criminal activity or natural disasters. Citizen connectivity has also spawned applications that enable alerts to be sent by local agencies to individual smartphones automatically. So for example, in the event of a terrorist attack, chemical leak or natural disaster, real-time data from air pollution sensors, surveillance cameras, alarms, sirens and social media feeds can be integrated into a smart communication network that distributes intelligence more quickly and effectively. This makes it possible for the right information to be accessed the moment it is needed, keeping citizens safer and providing an environment in which they can thrive.
Air quality is another example. Here the application displays air pollution levels on a heat map. Users can access this information to ascertain air pollution in their particular location and receive real-time alerts. This can prove a vital tool in ensuring wellbeing for asthma patients, for example.
Parking is invariably limited in busy city centres, so a smart parking solution saves citizens time and can alleviate congestion by helping them to locate the nearest parking space using the co-ordinates from CCTV cameras and applying video analytics.
These are just a few examples of the endless possibilities presented by the Internet of Things when it is combined with community collaboration. From protecting borders to promoting greater safety in cities, enhancing response in an emergency, improving the efficiency of public transportation networks or providing a more healthy environment, we are virtually limited only by our imagination in how we can help communities to flourish.
Blog Author: Roni-Aharon Maximov
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Digital Mobile Radio Gets Even Better
My recent move to Nairobi brings Motorola Solutions another step closer to being more integrated into the humanitarian community. Such a large gathering of NGOs in the country provides a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on understanding and insight into how our technology can help to empower and protect workers in operations ranging from healthcare to disaster relief, peacekeeping or the distribution of aid.
Communication is key to the success of any organisation and we’re constantly seeking ways to make our technology smarter. The occasion of my migration south just happened to coincide with the launch of Motorola’s next-generation MOTOTRBO™ Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) portfolio.
We’ve come a long way since MOTOTRBO spearheaded the DMR revolution in 2007! Taking this experience and user feedback into account, the latest range of radios brings a number of new features and capabilities to help aid workers to operate even more safely, efficiently and productively.
Longer battery life, indoor tracking, integrated Wi-Fi, seamless communication
Next generation MOTOTRBO keeps workers in touch for longer, with up to 29 hours of battery life, so teams don’t have to worry about losing contact when they need it most. It also saves hundreds of hours of lost productivity by using its integrated Wi-Fi capability for remote software updates. This enables radios to be managed from a central location, so users no longer need to waste time dropping off their devices and waiting for updates, which means they can spend more time in the field.
Building on MOTOTRBO’s integrated GPS capability for tracking vehicles and assets outdoors, the new indoor location tracking feature ensures it’s quick and easy to locate people and it can also generate alerts if the user enters restricted or hazardous areas. The man-down alert is another feature designed to improve worker safety, by detecting movement and issuing an alarm if the user appears to be motionless.
Easier collaboration with WAVE
Having disparate networks can make communication between teams complicated. This is overcome with WAVE Work Group Communications: a broadband push-to-talk solution that enables users to communicate with other teams and individuals securely, over any network and using any device. From two-way radios to smartphones, laptops to landlines, tablets to rugged handhelds, WAVE creates a powerful platform for interoperability, to speed up decision-making and promote seamless co-ordination between remote teams.
Instant connections, clear communication
In the past, two-way radio communication could be unclear in noisy environments. Digital radio’s noise-cancelling capability and audio amplifier makes speech much clearer, even in high-volume environments.The background noise level is automatically adjusted by MOTOTRBO’s intelligent audio feature.
For users who need to keep their hands free while using their radio, Bluetooth-enabled MOTOTRBO radios can be connected to an Operations Critical Wireless PTT and audio accessory so they can leave their radio on a desk, in a medical bag or backpack and converse seamlessly up to 30 feet away from the radio.
Beyond voice
The evolution of MOTOTRBO DMR is taking communication way beyond voice, giving you access to a host of features and applications that can help you be more productive, keep safe and get the job done.
Click here to contact Motorola Solutions if you would like case studies or user references on how DMR is being applied in humanitarian operations and to discuss a tailored solution that fits your unique user requirements.
For more information:
Travis Heneveld
Director: United Nations & International Accounts, Motorola Solutions
Big data may be the latest buzzword in the digital evolution, but what exactly is it and what does it mean for humanitarian operations?
Technological advancement has connected continents and communities in ways we never imagined possible. Today, people are no longer mere consumers of information, but have become creators and disseminators of content. And they are doing so with unrestrained ease.
For example, within 24 hours of Hurricane Sandy, over 3 million tweets had been sent. Over US$ 5 million was pledged via text messages after the earthquake in Haiti. That’s just the power of a single social media channel.
When disaster strikes, information comes streaming in through myriad sources: email; sms; messaging apps; mainstream and social media; images; video and audio recordings; UAVs; sensors and alarms. This information can prove invaluable to agencies responding to a crisis, but it can also be overwhelming – particularly when time is of the essence and resources are stretched.
The vast volume of information gathered needs to be verified, filtered and integrated in real-time. Even that is not enough. To be useful, this data has to be converted into actionable intelligence. And this is what big data is all about: it involves using sophisticated data analytics in order to present information visually and intuitively so that it’s easy to understand and share.
Impossible? No, in fact it’s already happening.
Automating tasks for faster, more informed decision-making
Unstructured data such as photographs, video, speech and audio can be stored on a computer easily enough, but in order to be understood and interpreted, complex algorithms are needed. Thanks to data analytics - which enables trend-mapping and forecasting - human functions such as decision-making can be automated so that critical intelligence gets delivered to the right person at the right time.
For example, automated video analysis tools such as Agent Vi can detect events in real time, alerting users to potential incidents when certain events occur. In addition, they can detect and extract events or important data from surveillance footage, saving on valuable man-hours spent sifting through recorded video footage.
Big data is also comprised of structured data - such as tables, graphs and records - which are more easily processed by a computer. The combination of historical analytics (data which is processed over a period of time) with real-time analytics (data processed as it comes in) creates a broad ecosystem of knowledge. Once it’s stored in a central repository, this intelligence becomes more easy to access and it can drive collaboration, sharing and collective learning.
Gaining new insights and identifying trends
While real-time data can provide new insights that improve situational awareness as events unfold, the ability to review and access historical data is key to making planning decisions. Solutions such as Command Central Analytics can offer customisable dashboard reports on incidents, showing activity timelines, the nature of an incident and the area in which it occurred. These reports can be shared via email or automatically - across devices and operating systems - enabling trends to be identified for major issues.
Of course, capturing data in the field is also of vital importance – be it the photographs and fingerprints of beneficiaries, managing and reporting on the distribution of food or emergency supplies and supporting interventions. The mobile software platform Scene Doc is designed to simplify the collection, organisation, management and sharing of data. It stores all data - including forms, diagrams, notes, photographs, audio recordings and high-resolution video – in one secure location and maintains functionality, even when there’s no network connection.
Building the digital humanitarian network
As community engagement in dealing with humanitarian crises increases, social media platforms are playing an important role in both disseminating and providing information. Facebook’s Safety Check feature has proved helpful in enabling people to establish quickly whether their loved ones are safe, Google’s maps helped citizens in Chennai to navigate around flooded streets and Twitter was used by victims whose homes were flooded to send SOS messages to rescue workers. And after the earthquake in Nepal, social media platforms were used to appeal to citizens to help overloaded aid workers with the clean-up.
One example of citizen engagement is the UN’s co-founded Digital Humanitarian Network. The DHN is harnessing the power of digital communication by crowd-sourcing volunteers around the world to monitor, analyse, map and trace events. These range from outbreaks of disease such as the Ebola virus, to locating victims after a natural disaster, ascertaining the extent of damage, as well as helping to determine where aid needs to be delivered or tracking vehicles.
The ability to collaborate with local communities can have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of humanitarian operations but it also gives rise to new challenges which must be faced. These include threats to privacy, data integrity and security.
Through more reliable and affordable connectivity – be that GPS tracking, GSM, satellite, LTE, or two-way radio – and mobile applications that enable individuals to contribute and interact more smartly and securely, organisations such as Motorola Solutions can help humanitarian operations turn big data to their advantage.
As a stakeholder in the network of humanitarian innovators, we’re committed to working with aid agencies to facilitate better monitoring, more accurate and faster data collection, greater transparency and improved efficiency.
Travis Heneveld
Director: United Nations & International Accounts, Motorola Solutions
Innovative Integration Expertise for Complex Humanitarian Operations
I had the privilege of attending two inspiring global events last month. First up was the 8th annual ICT4D conference in Nairobi, Kenya, which showcased breakthrough field solutions in NGO operations. A few days later the first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey brought together motivated individuals from both the private and public sectors who are committed to enabling countries and communities on the issues of crisis response and resilience.
Both events reinforced how vital it is for humanitarian operations to have access to reliable, secure voice and data communications and the challenges this presents due to the environments and conditions in which they must operate. From mapping conflict areas and providing early warning systems for peacekeeping forces, to administering electoral processes, managing humanitarian admission programmes or co-ordinating international relief operations, aid workers depend on a broad range of devices and applications to access and transfer critical information, seamlessly and quickly.
The need for consistency and centralised control
A lack of existing communications infrastructure, coupled with the scale and complexity of humanitarian operations, requires an innovative approach to integrate disparate IT and communication systems around the world and provide consistent coverage across varied terrain. The range of expertise this demands spans everything from civil engineering and site development to data centre design, disaster recovery, deployment of robust local and wide area networks, lifecycle management and managed services.
It requires a centralised point of control, with the agility to design, deploy, manage and support mission-critical communications on a global basis and the flexibility to customise solutions according to particular needs, while also realising value by deploying the latest technologies. This is crucial to ensuring continuous, fail-sale operations.
So, how can this be achieved?
High availability, optimal performance
Let’s start with mission-critical wireless broadband networks. They have to deliver reliable performance, maintain high availability under harsh weather conditions, function in inhospitable terrains, accommodate diverse urban/rural geographies and be able to withstand natural disasters and catastrophes.
The back-haul system must guarantee bandwidth and prioritise critical data over non-critical data, allowing for traffic to be separated across multiple sites. It must also enable real-time monitoring of network performance and the ability to detect and correct faults before they impede critical operations.
To provide sufficient communications for mobile units, coverage must be extended across vast areas and provide high throughput of up to 750 Mbps at speeds of up to 250km/h. And it must achieve this without line-of-sight antennas.
Connected to the network could be a range of devices – from digital mobile radios equipped with GPS to track equipment and personnel, to rugged LTE handheld devices that support advanced data applications, drones carrying video surveillance cameras to transmit images in real time or body-worn devices such as cameras.
The network must be able to forecast capacity needs and enable the planning of access points to accommodate data coverage across varied topographies, be easy to configure and allow for rapid deployments that can be fixed, nomadic or mobile.
And all this data needs to be securely stored, analysed, converted into intelligence and readily accessible by aid workers in the field, to enhance situational awareness, decision-making and collaboration.
It’s a tall order, but given the right partners with the right technology, it’s achievable.
Proven Expertise
Motorola Solutions is well known for our innovation in two-way radio communication, but did you know that we also provide turn-key integration services? Our Global Systems Integration team combines decades of field experience with successful project management and certified processes, having deployed over 1000 mission-critical IT and communication systems. We also operate some of the most complex systems for nations and states.
As the founder of Six Sigma – a data-driven approach for eliminating defects – Motorola adheres to rigorous quality standards to manage complex variables and deliver state-of-the-art integration solutions.
From system planning and design to integration and implementation, we have the expertise and proven processes to mitigate risks and match your operational needs. Which means you can focus on your mission, knowing that your systems will perform reliably, even under the most extreme conditions
For more information on Motorola Solutions’ Global Systems Integration, download the datasheet: Integrating Mission Critical Networks
Travis Heneveld
Director: United Nations & International Accounts, Motorola Solutions
CAN TECHNOLOGY BE USED TO PREDICT AND PREVENT DISASTERS? AIDCONNECT BLOG - APRIL 2016
On 3 and 4 March I joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at their Global Partnerships for Humanitarian Impact and Innovation event, which gathered over 200 leaders from the business, humanitarian, technology, health and academic sectors to explore solutions for the provision of health care in fragile environments.The breakout session on violence against health care focused on how the corporate sector can work directly with the ICRC to develop innovative products and services that can assist and protect victims of conflict.To gain a deeper understanding of the nature and impact of violence affecting health care workers and patients, the ICRC undertook a global study between 2010 and 2013. The data they were able to gather has helped them identify patterns of attacks to improve the security of medical workers and citizens in armed conflict and other emergencies.Field studies such as these can be combined with real-time data from citizens via social media sites, call centres and text messages to provide valuable information which, through analytics and funnelling, can be turned into intelligence that can predict and help to prevent incidents of violence.And it’s not just health care that stands to benefit from such an approach: there is a fundamental shift from mission-critical communication towards mission-critical intelligence which is focused on creating solutions that can vastly enhance the efficacy of humanitarian aid operations and improve personnel safety. Towards more insightful informationOver the next ten years, the cognitive computing capacity of a standard laptop is expected to expand to that of a human brain. So, how can technology empower us by offering greater intelligence?The move beyond descriptive data towards contextual data requires a solutions architecture that’s based on user experience and high-velocity human factors. It requires a combination of software, applications and mobile devices that can capture, analyse and funnel data to deliver real-time insights to emergency workers. This is where the ideal communication experience can be realised.Many technologies that exist today are capable of capturing vast amounts of data. But to convert that data into useful information which is delivered at the right time and in the right way is what distinguishes mission-critical intelligence from mission-critical communications.This intelligence is based on a solutions architecture that can combine historical and real-time data with individual user experiences to deliver appropriate information through software applications in multiple ways – be it audibly, via a mobile device, in a vehicle or through a head-worn display, for example.By capturing data from multiple sources – including citizens, enterprises and smart devices – we can gather information that will enable responders to identify people, predict emotions or intent, anticipate crowd patterns and even simulate predictive reality for an incident. Technology gets even smarterIt’s not just the data itself that can become more intelligible: the technology and devices delivering this data are also evolving to improve performance and functionality. Smart products can provide information about how they are used, which features are the most popular, the communications environment in which they operate (network capacity and coverage) and battery condition for predictive maintenance.Through the gathering and analysis of this data, we can gain vital feedback to support future product enhancements and development so that technology serves users on their terms. Tougher security standardsThe more data we collect and store, the greater our responsibility to protect and manage it. This will require tighter cybersecurity standards and practices to prevent data from being compromised, while allowing users the ability to access it from a variety of networks and devices. It is a crucial focus point for Motorola Solutions as our move towards mission-critical intelligence gains momentum. Helping to make intelligence-led mission critical solutions a realityMotorola Solutions’ customers are already starting to realise the ability to anticipate events and work more efficiently. Our portfolio of Smart Public Safety Solutions now includes Public Engines, which provides citizen engagement and predictive policing software and Emergency CallWorks, which converges call-taking, incident dispatch and GIS Systems so that dispatchers can seamlessly send the right responder to the right location at the right time.We’ve also been working closely with Socrata, which powers Motorola Solutions’ CrimeReports – to promote greater engagement between citizens and law enforcement agencies. Enriched with enhanced mapping capabilities, charts, graphs and trend tools, CrimeReports allows citizens to find and explore crime data more easily and increases transparency, as well as providing law enforcement agencies with more eyes and ears to tackle crime.Another example of how technology can help to prevent disaster is the village of Shipton Bellinger in England, which has deployed a WAVE Work Group Communications system in response to the rising threat of flooding. The system links community resilience team members usingMOTOTRBO Digital Mobile Radios to other agencies that are using smartphones. The Push-to-Talk capacity of this robust, real-time communications solution ensures team members can keep in touch, even if they are outside the area during critical periods.The insights gained from all these initiatives can be leveraged for other customers such as humanitarian and aid organisations to enhance preparedness, situational awareness and response. They can also help to improve the utilisation and allocation of resources and promote greater collaboration between different agencies.So, there are several ways in which the humanitarian sector could benefit from technological innovation and we are working closely with organisations such as the ICRC to make this a reality.All of the solutions mentioned above will be on display at Critical Communications World, Amsterdam RAI from 31 May to 2 June. If you plan to visit CCW, let me know and we will arrange for a Motorola Solutions representative to meet you at our stand D9. Access to the exhibition is free of charge.Thank you,Travis HeneveldDirector: United Nations & International Accounts, Motorola Solutions
Welcome to our New Think Aid Connect Community
Welcome to the first posting of our new blog dedicated to the humanitarian aid community. This blog will be updated every two months with discussions on how humanitarian aid operations can benefit from the latest innovations in smart technology. It is designed to complement our newsletter, Aid Connect, where you can find out more about new solutions and events, get to know our partners better and also interact with experts at Motorola Solutions.
Smart Solutions for Connected Humanitarian Aid Operations
I have just returned from an inspiring workshop organised by NOMAD in Amman, Jordan, where over 120 connected aid workers shared their ideas and learnings in the area of humanitarian data collection and management. These interactions and exchanges reinforced how technology can play a crucial role in emergency aid management, by providing the capability to capture, store and analyse data to ascertain the impact of disasters and improve planning for future events. As new solutions for emergency aid management are developed, their successful integration must be based on an understanding of the unique characteristics of the communities that aid agencies need to protect. They also need to cater for the varied needs of different humanitarian aid organisations. You can find a copy of my "Connectivity and Data Collection Solutions" presentation from this NOMAD workshop here.
How can technology enhance emergency aid management?
When a natural disaster strikes, aid response teams face a number of challenges in delivering emergency services. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges is: how to establish reliable communication quickly - especially when conventional networks have been damaged. Having access to secure, instant voice and data communications is vital for co-ordinating responses between different agencies; allocating resources; ensuring the protection of aid workers in dangerous situations and managing events from the onset of disaster, through to the recovery stages and rebuilding infrastructure.
Different agencies have different communication needs – be it alerting hospitals to scale up rapidly, helping search and rescue teams to pinpoint the location of victims or distributing aid. Technology underpins many of these operations and can greatly enhance emergency aid management. For example, drones equipped with Wi-Fi can stream real-time images that help aid workers to ascertain the scale of a disaster and gain access to areas which would be too dangerous to do so in person. Using GPS to track and monitor the movements of responders can optimise the allocation of resources and provide greater protection for workers in hazardous environments. But technology must be more than just a tool: to be truly effective and avoid distracting aid workers from the mission at hand, it must be seamless.
Towards integrated communications
At times of crisis, information pours in from a multitude of sources – be they call centres, social media sites, sensors or video streams. This data needs to be filtered, analysed and passed on to response teams in real time, to support intelligence in the field and help them make informed decisions as events unfold.
A solution such as Premier One Records can simplify the capture, storage and retention of operational and procedural data within a centralised repository. It links together multimedia data about people, property and places to help agencies determine the best response. This data can also be integrated with a cloud-based application such as CommandCentral Analytics which offers a variety of visually-intuitive formats that make it easier to review data and analytics, identify emerging trends and gain deeper insight into key areas. Using a smartphone or tablet, incidents can be securely, accurately and consistently documented and this information can be transmitted directly into the PremierOne Records system via a mobile app called SceneDoc. These technologies facilitate the gathering of information directly from a scene and allow workers to share intelligence with their colleagues in near real-time.
For crisis situations where an aid worker needs to remain completely focused on the events at hand, the combination of a body-worn video camera, radio speaker and microphone into a single device that’s connected to a cloud-based storage solution can seamlessly provide feedback regarding the responder’s experience at the scene of a crisis. The ability to monitor an individual’s stress levels, capture what they are seeing and process this data for reviewing and sharing footage can significantly improve response and safety.
Proactive management of mobile devices
From a logistical perspective, it can be time-consuming trying to keep track of radios and handheld devices, especially when they’re shared and reallocated among different humanitarian teams and across multiple locations. Infor’s asset tracking software is accessible via a mobile app that makes it possible to view radio performance, schedule repairs proactively and optimise the lifecycle of essential communications equipment.
Supporting critical tasks
These are just a few examples of how technological innovations can support critical tasks and be integrated into humanitarian aid operations. Motorola Solutions is committed to working with agencies managing disaster recovery and major incident response around the world, to develop devices, applications and communication networks that will perform reliably in extreme circumstances and help to prepare organisations to minimise the impact of future threats. For more information, have a look at our Smart Public Safety Solutions or register for our series of Smart Public Safety Solution webinars.
In our next blog, we’ll examine how smart technology can be used to predict crisis situations and help to avert catastrophes.
Thank you,
Travis Heneveld
Director: United Nations & International Accounts, Motorola Solutions