Vodacom Business is collaborating with local governments to provide technology solutions to help make South African cities smarter. Vodacom Business announced the cooperation, which is part of a five-year Transversal Contract with the National Treasury, highlighting the important role digital solutions can play in enabling towns to deliver services effectively and build an inclusive future.
“We have a proven track record in partnering with the public sector to deliver transformative digital solutions. We aim to use our experience and expertise in understanding government needs to achieve their smart city goals. This includes digitalizing utility management, healthcare, education, and security, which streamline operations, enhance efficiencies, and improve the lives of citizens,” says Videsha Proothveerajh, Director of Vodacom Business.
Municipalities may use digital technology to better control the usage and delivery of services like water and electricity. Vodacom Business offers a smart utility management system that uses linked smart meters to deliver real-time consumption data.
This can also help to improve accurate billing and revenue collection for citizens, and has been expanded to include fleet management, saving towns money while increasing the longevity, value, and efficiency of their assets. Vodacom Business has also created and deployed the Citizen Engagement app, which allows residents and municipalities to communicate and collaborate in real time, as well as log service requests and track their progress.
Vodacom Business’s cloud-based Stock Visibility Solution (SVS) enhances healthcare facilities’ stock-level monitoring and administration, enhancing efficiency and medication-dispensing responses, demonstrating the effectiveness of technology in improving healthcare access.
AitaHealth is a smartphone-based platform that enables Community Health Workers (CHWs) to provide preventative care services to communities from the comfort of their own homes. Other digital initiatives from Vodacom Business to improve public healthcare delivery include the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, which allows users to track ambulance requests from the moment a call is logged until the patients are finally delivered to their destination.
Vodacom Business has created digital solutions in the field of education to help departments of education and schools with more efficient e-admissions. The company has also created ways to connect schools, district administration, and provincial offices to improve visibility through communication. Vodacom’s e-learning technology solutions supports the government’s objective of improving educational outcomes in South Africa by utilizing mobile technology to enhance the learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom.
In ensuring citizen safety, Vodacom Business has developed various IoT security solutions, such as real-time firearm tracking and geo-fencing to enhance public sector security services. Body-worn cameras facilitate real-time video transmission to central locations, enabling live monitoring during critical situations and providing evidentiary proof for incident management.
“As Vodacom celebrates its 30th anniversary, Vodacom Business remains committed to transforming enterprises of every size to change lives and ensure that no one is left behind in the digital future. By enabling the growth of smart cities, we are turning public services into public successes and supporting the government to utilize the power of technology to better serve citizens and create an inclusive digital society in South Africa,” concludes Proothveerajh.
Source: https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2024/09/vodacoms-new-partnership-to-enhance-sa-city-smartness/