Ericsson lassoes Dallas smart city win

The City of Dallas has selected Ericsson to install and run an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).

The aim of the initiative is to create a traffic system which allows city employees to analyse real-time data from traffic sensors and cameras to dynamically control traffic lights, school flashers (get your mind out of the gutter) and message signs. The system will be used in Dallas, as well as adjacent cities.

“The quality of a community’s transportation infrastructure is a major factor in business and industry investment decisions,” said Jeff Travers, Head of IoT at Ericsson. “The Dallas metroplex is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Our Connect Urban Transport solution will enable the city to manage growing traffic and increase driver safety more efficiently and at lower cost.”

“The smart way to becoming a Smart City is the intentional focus on making data actionable,” said William Finch, CIO for the City of Dallas. “Ericsson’s solution offers a lot of potential through the modernization our traffic management technology. It is from this technology that we will derive more robust data, that leads to greater business intelligence, which in turn enhances our application.”

The contract could prove to be a useful little win for the Swedes, as the City of Dallas has been quite proactive in the smart city arena. Projects to date have included smart information kiosks, an open data portal, district wifi and smart parking management, amongst others. The city also has the advantage of being the HQ of AT&T, and the testbed benefits which are gleamed from being host to such an organization.