Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 14 | Page 82

/////////////////////////////////////////// INDUSTRY WATCH Firas Jadalla, Regional Director of Sales for Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Genetic Riaan Graham, Director Sales SSA, Ruckus Networks (an Arris company) airports, taxi ranks, restaurants and coffee shops and numerous other areas where people congregate. They serve to provide reliable and high- speed WiFi access and can readily be upgraded as new technology becomes available, such as 5G. So, not only will these benefit commuters using public transport, but also AVs that will rely on them to safely navigate traffic, pedestrians and other ‘obstacles’. In this environment, each AV will become part of a larger eco-system linking to road- side infrastructure and other vehicles. Having access to these transport hubs mean the creation of a pervasive wireless network that will be able to help manage and control these AVs. This could bring about significant changes in how we view transportation. Kenya plans to prioritise private sector investment in infrastructure development due to constrained government resources, and while traffic is still something out of a dystopian future, road network expansion is a key component of Kenya’s 2030 visions. With an aim to improve road conditions, reduce traffic congestions and commute times and provide for the availability of cheaper, modern and more efficient transport services, laying the path for smart transportation systems is just around the corner. Changing transportation Transport and logistics will become significantly more efficient as navigation, maintenance and monitoring will be managed through links to transport hubs. Additionally, wireless networking will instil AVs with the situational awareness needed by continuously feeding information through to the vehicles, the infrastructure and any analytical databases required. While the scale of the change will take several years to take place, we have already embarked on the path to a more autonomous driving world and wireless networks will be at its heart. n 82 INTELLIGENTCIO A next-generation software platform that offers a modern approach to traffic operations has been launched by leading technology provider Genetic. Designed to deliver greater oversight and efficiency for traffic operations, Traffic Sense brings a unified view of traffic systems, taps into emerging technologies, such as video and data analytics, and introduces a higher level of automation to speed up resolution of road incidents. Traditional advanced traffic management systems require extensive customer integration and development, and are slow to adapt to changing environments. Traffic Sense is designed to seamlessly integrate new and emerging technologies, reducing customers’ total cost of ownership and shortening implementation and cycles significantly. It also enables traffic centres to adapt and automate responses to current challenges, such as roadworks, new developments and changes in driver behaviours. www.intelligentcio.com