Sokwoo Rhee

“ In many cases, the top two layers are heavily coupled with business cases that are important factors in determining sustainability and replicability of the solutions.
In the case of smart city applications, it is often easier to conceptualize the architecture as two groups of layers— Infrastructure and Applications. “Infrastructure” typically refers to the bottom two layers of the IoT architecture, and “Applications” refers to the top two layers. In some cases, however, the Data Analytics layer could belong to the infrastructure group, depending on the nature of its functionality. ”

“ In other words, the Data Analytics layer does not necessarily imply the need for a huge database and an extremely fast processor. Many distributed IoT-based control systems employ a relatively small-scale Data Analytics layer. An example of a small-scale layer can be found in a smart thermostat that could also function as a local decision maker within the home network.
On the other hand, many IoT solutions deployed at a citywide scale may require a big centralized data repository and more powerful processors to handle a larger amount of data from multiple sectors and applications. ”

“ The top layer is the Service layer. This layer is where intelligence resides and decisions are made. This layer receives information from the Data Analytics layer, and then makes decisions on next steps. The next steps could include displaying the information on a monitor screen or operating and controlling actuators. The Service layer is important because it is in the position in the architecture to create the highest value for the users of the system. Many business decisions are made in this layer, including human-in-the-loop actions. ”

“ In the case that a team has only one municipal partner, the team is encouraged to establish additional partnerships with other cities by demonstrating measurable and quantifiable benefits of the solution. ”

“ Each Action Cluster creates a project plan with a timeline to demonstrate their accomplishments in a tangible manner. Because each action cluster includes multiple members, it is likely that the outcome of the solution will be replicable to other cities. ”

“ Although progress in deploying IoT solutions has been quite impressive, the IoT market still suffers from the issue of “fragmentation, [3] ” and the smart city market shares similar concerns. Many smart city solution projects are isolated and heavily rely on custom-solution developments. ”

“ Combined with multi-stakeholder collaboration programs such as GCTC, the IoT/Smart City fabric—built to be open and neutral--could allow many cities and communities, large and small, to enjoy the benefits of advanced technologies to improve the quality of life. ”