The list of problems is well-known: A financial crisis. Climate disruption. Energy geopolitics. Food supply hazards.
What they show is that we're all connected, today like never before: economically, socially and technically. When a crisis occurs on one part of the planet, it can bring problems to another part, within days or even hours.
Yet this challenge is also an opportunity, and now is the time to seize it. People around the world are ready for change. And the planet is ready for it, too. Today, we are seeing the infusion of intelligence into the way the world literally works—the systems and processes that enable...
- physical goods to be developed, manufactured, bought and sold;
- services to be delivered;
- everything from people and money to oil, water and electrons to move;
- and billions of people to work and live.
Three things have brought this about:
- The world is becoming instrumented. By 2010, there will be a billion transistors per human, each one costing one ten-millionth of a cent.
- The world is becoming interconnected. With a trillion networked things—cars, roadways, pipelines, appliances, pharmaceuticals and even livestock—the amount of information created by those interactions grows exponentially.
- All things are becoming intelligent. Algorithms and powerful systems can analyse and turn those mountains of data into actual decisions and actions that make the world work better. Smarter.
Because we can: the technology is both available and affordable. Because we must: the shocks we've seen to so many systems show that the current approaches aren't sustainable. And because we want to. IBM is starting a conversation with the world because we think now is the time to make these changes for the better.
Smart Utilities
Learn how intelligent grids reduce loss of power, prevent outages and allow control down to the appliance level.
Smart Traffic
When building new roads just isn't possible, building intelligence into the roads and the cars is.
Smart Infrastructure
As we explore ways to make the world smarter, it raises a question: Why are the IT systems themselves still not as smart they need to be?
New Intelligence
The new ways we can capture, analyse and act on information will help us make our planet smarter.
Smarter Water
Sensor networks, smart metering and advanced computing and analytics are helping to ensure the flow of clean, plentiful water around the planet.
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Smarter Cities
As populations grow at a fast clip, they are stressing our city infrastructures. Smarter transportation, policing, governance and grids promise relief to urban areas.
Smarter Telecom
Demand is skyrocketing for more and smarter ways to communicate. Our telecommunications need to be instrumented, interconnected and intelligent to keep up.
Smarter Healthcare
Using tools like electronic medical records, wireless computing devices and health support networks, innovators are making our systems smarter and more affordable.
Smarter Money
Money has been transformed into zeros and ones. It's invisible. It's information. Which is central both to the problem—and to its solution.
Smart Work
In a world of smarter work, we may finally be able to make our organisations as agile, as collaborative and as creative as the people within them.
Smart Food
Find out how technology is changing the way food grows the way it tastes and the way it gets to your plate.
Retail Solutions
Smart retailing is helping businesses to strengthen shopper loyalty during tough economic times. It's all about fulfilling promises.
Smart Government
As governments work to infuse intelligence into their transport, energy, water, telecommunications and other systems in order to stimulate economies and benefit citizens, it begs the question: can the operations of government itself become smarter?
