SMARTER CITY TECHNOLOGY AIDS ASSET MANAGEMENT IN CAMBRIDGE

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CAMBRIDGE, ON, Sept. 8 /CNW/ - The City of Cambridge today introduced new intelligence systems for infrastructure management that will help municipal workers monitor infrastructure projects across the city in real time, making Cambridge the first municipality in Canada to be recognized by IBM as a smarter city.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) and Member of Parliament for Cambridge, Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig, and Chris Mallon, Senior Brand Executive, IBM Canada, came together to showcase the new system.

"The Government of Canada is committed to investing in roads, clean water systems, sidewalks and other community infrastructure to strengthen our economy and create jobs," said Minister Goodyear, on behalf of the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "These projects in Cambridge will help keep residents safe and promote a healthy and efficient environment."

"There's a wealth of information on roads, wastewater, water, and other key infrastructure elements that exist in many forms throughout the city," said Mayor Doug Craig. "The new system brings together a variety of data to enhance management processes of our more than 250,000 infrastructure assets valuing $1.2 billion. This system also includes new mobile applications in the field with real time updating which result in savings for the community."

The technology allows staff to identify safety issues on roads and sidewalks and effectively organize and route this information to crews to ensure timely and complete response. The new system will be mainly used by Transportation and Public Works staff with a view to expanding it to other areas in the future. The Government of Canada contributed over $978,700 towards this project through the federal Gas Tax Fund. The City of Cambridge also invested approximately $703,000 towards the project, which included training, work management systems and Global Information Systems (GIS) technology development.

"The City of Cambridge is a leading example of a municipality that is harnessing its creative leadership to put funding and technology to innovative use to improve services for citizens. They recognize that we can't continue to address modern challenges with 20th Century infrastructure," said Chris Mallon, Senior Brand Executive, IBM Canada. "This type of bold vision helps pave the way for sustainable growth and a smarter city that is able to adapt and thrive as it meets the urban challenges of the 21st Century."

The federal Gas Tax Fund provides municipalities with a stable and predictable source of funding for environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure. Funding is also available for planning projects that contribute to the sustainability of communities and regions.

About Cambridge

The City of Cambridge is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. It is strategically located astride highway 401 in Southwestern Ontario, part of Canada's Technology Triangle. In 2009, the population reached over 126,000 people. With a multicultural mix and a strong foundation of support services, Cambridge has a diverse economic base with leading industries in advanced manufacturing, automotive, high technology, pharmaceutical, business and financial services and hospitality/retail. The Corporation of the City of Cambridge is an employer with a progressive work environment that offers the opportunity to provide service to the community through creativity and innovation, and with opportunities for career growth and advancement.

For more perspective from Mike Hausser, director of asset management for the City of Cambridge, see his post on the Smarter Planet blog.

For further information:

Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
519-624-7440

Mike Hausser, P.Eng
Director of Asset Management and Support Services
City of Cambridge
519-740-4682 x4302
[email protected]

Carrie Bendzsa
Manager of External Communications
IBM Canada
613-796-3880
[email protected]

Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148
Disponible en français

Linda Fegan, Director, Corporate Communications and Marketing
519.740.4680 Ext. 4623
519.212.3409
[email protected]