Auckland uses big data analytics to improve safety

The city of Auckland, New Zealand, is deploying video analytics to help provide a safe community and more efficient roadways for its residents. Auckland Transport, the government agency responsible for the transportation infrastructure and services, has chosen the HP IDOL information analytics platform to power an innovative big data project.

Roger Jones, CIO of Auckland Transport, said, “The safety and well-being of our citizens is always our top priority, and the Future Cities initiative is a big step in the right direction. Only HP could comprehensively deliver the custom solution, expertise and ecosystem at this scale to transform our vision into reality.”

Auckland Transport will implement HP’s integrated big data platform HAVEn to analyze, understand and act on vast quantities of data including text, images, audio and real-time video, according to HP. The system will use data from a variety of sources, including thousands of security and traffic management cameras, a huge network of road and environmental sensors, as well as real-time social media and news feeds, the company adds.

In the first phase of the project, Auckland Transport will concentrate on enhancing public safety. HP reports that law enforcement will use HP Intelligent Scene Analysis System and license plate recognition for identification and scene analysis of dangerous activities and safety threats from more than 2,000 cameras deployed in Auckland. That information will be linked with insight from social media news sources to provide a comprehensive solution that can proactively identify breaking trends and respond to critical safety incidents for cyclists and transport users, according to HP.

Earlier this month, HP announced plans to separate into two companies: one consisting of HP’s enterprise technology infrastructure, software and services businesses, which will do business as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and one that will consist of HP’s personal systems and printing businesses, which will do business as HP Inc.

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