The Role of Open Source in the Development of Smart Cities

Smart cities require an enormous amount of software dealing with very different perspectives that include the management of the infrastructure, the provisioning of services to citizens, the monitoring of the environment, etc. At present, many municipalities have developed a number of software systems able to address some of these needs while others will be developed in the future. One of the main concern in such area
is the maintenance of such systems over time that is often considered possible only through large companies (e.g., IBM, Microsoft, etc.). However, open source and open communication protocols may allow smaller companies to enter the market relying on their openness to assure that their products can be maintained over an extended amount of time even if they could be out of business.
This talk will explore the technologies and the challenges that are behind the development of a Smart Lighting System that disrupting the market enabling open cooperation of different systems.