Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R), a division of Singapore's A*STAR research agency signed an agreement with Microsoft on to establish a joint reference architecture for Singapore’s Smart Nation platform.
The collaboration will focus on setting up the business architecture for member agencies and the development of the technical architecture based on Singapore’s Smart Nation Operating System requirements.
Smart Nation is Singapore’s vision to fully harness the potential of technology to improve the lives of citizens, create greater opportunities for business, and build a more anticipatory government.
It provides an operating system that all public agencies can connect, collect, and comprehend the essential data that are captured and collected via sensors placed around Singapore. It will also ensure that data collected and shared to be anonymized and managed securely.
The new collaboration framework between Microsoft Singapore and I2R will enable the parties to develop innovative technologies in data analytics, smarter networks and cybersecurity; innovate next-generation video-based solutions through scalable multimedia platforms and advanced video analytics; and collaborate to build a greener and safer Smart Nation through intelligent transport systems, urban mobility and renewable energy systems.
The partners also expect to gather Internet of Things (IoT) data and provide input to regulators implementing licence-exempt regulatory frameworks; educate stakeholders on Smart Nation related technologies and their benefits; and promote the Smart Nation Platform, to enhance its potential and assist regulators in adopting Smart Nation Platform in their countries.
As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will seek to accelerate innovation with I²R through Microsoft CityNext, a global initiative that helps cities across the world address increased urbanization through innovations in Mobile, Cloud, Big Data and Social technologies.