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Waterfront Toronto: A portal with social tools puts a community at the forefront of the smart cities movement
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Smart City Operations
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
The Challenge
Waterfront Toronto is a steward for the revitalization of Toronto’s lakefront area. It aims to be a model intelligent community, developing a community where people live, learn, work, and play in a seamless, technology-enabled environment. After deploying an ultra-high-speed fiber-optic network and IBM Intelligent Operations Center software for city management, Waterfront Toronto turned to creating a social network. It sought the best way to link present and future residents, retailers, students, partners, and staff using online interactions and apps that would enhance the quality of life while showcasing the community as a model of innovation in sustainable development, urban design, and advanced technology.
About The Customer
Waterfront Toronto is the steward for the revitalization of Toronto’s lakefront area. Initiated in 2001 to manage the transformation of 2000 acres of brownfield lands into beautiful, sustainable mixed-use communities and dynamic public spaces, it is one of the world’s largest revitalization projects. Waterfront Toronto aims to be a model intelligent community, which means developing a community where people live, learn, work, and play in a seamless, technology-enabled environment.
The Solution
Working with IBM and IBM Premier Business Partner Element Blue, LLC, Waterfront Toronto deployed the New Blue Edge community portal, an instance of Element Blue’s Community Hub portal. It is powered by the SoftLayer cloud on bare metal servers, yielding infrastructure savings and the benefits of a more agile software service. New Blue Edge also includes IBM WebSphere Portal software, while IBM Connections software provides an overlay of social tools such as profiles and communities. Ease of integration will make it simple for entrepreneurs to offer innovative digital content and services such as wellness advice and an online marketplace.
Operational Impact
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