Competition is especially fierce in the technology industry, and a huge hurdle for developers is to reach customers on a massive scale. Effective marketing and distribution are key factors in developing business; as a result, many companies strive to gain large contracts with city and government agencies. Jacksonville, Florida, is receiving a great deal of attention now that one technology giant has turned its sights on the city to host, test, and expand one of its latest products.
General Electric is reportedly developing intelligent LED lighting, which is lauded as an economic way to provide substantial energy. Ultimately, the company hopes that the technology will allow for home energy systems to become integrated and more efficient. For now, the company is focusing its development and expansion efforts on city pilot programs using the Smart lighting technology.
Jacksonville is set to become one of two cities with smart streetlights. The LED lights are being installed along some city roadways, and are expected to provide valuable information to GE and local agencies on public use and trends. Because the smart lighting systems are capable of collecting data, some have been raising concerns over potential security breaches. The Jacksonville Public Works Director claimed, though, that the new technology would help to make the city and more energy efficient and competitive. Beyond that, he argued that the business move would improve the infrastructure and function of the city. He also noted that all of the uses of the technology had not yet been fully realized.
Source: Jacksonville Business Journal, “How GE plans to benefit from Jacksonville’s data-sucking streets,” Jensen Werley, May 4, 2015
