STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
* 2013 edition of Ericsson's Networked City Index ranks Stockholm, London and
Singapore as top three cities among 31 measured
* Key finding: Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-link to
societal, economic and environmental development reconfirmed and
strengthened as study now addresses more advanced technology
* Key finding: Leadership skills in utilizing ICT cross-functionally has high
impact on ICT maturity and innovation capability
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) today published its latest Networked Society City Index.
The index ranks 31 cities and measures their ICT maturity in terms of leverage
from ICT investments on economic, social and environmental development; the
"triple bottom line" effect.
In this report, the technology aspect has been updated to include dimensions
such as 4G, open data, e-transactions and more advanced usage. The results
reconfirm and further strengthen the correlation between ICT and societal,
economic and environmental development.
The Swedish capital's top ranking is due to its well-developed ICT
infrastructure, with a high penetration of smartphones and high-speed
connections as well as advanced usage paired with innovation and development
initiatives utilizing ICT as core enabler.
Patrik Regårdh, Head of Ericsson's Networked Society Lab says: "ICT
significantly speeds up interactions between various actors, making them more
intense and cost-effective. The reduced cost of information exchange and
transactions lowers the threshold for new enterprises and collaborations. As a
result, a city's economic development becomes vitalized."
ICT provides a platform for collaboration in knowledge-intense activities
between companies, public sector and citizens, and stimulates specialization and
dynamic information services. This enables businesses and institutions to pool
resources efficiently, and to offer solutions and services that neither party
could otherwise provide independently.
The report cites the way Shanghai's Environmental Protection Bureau communicates
daily air quality information via its website and Weibo as an example. The aim
is to spread knowledge about the adverse health effect due to poor air quality
among the urban population of Shanghai.
Regårdh says: "ICT enables completely new ways for citizens to interact with
their city and its environment. It becomes a platform for collaboration where
citizens can share information and more actively engage in dealing with every
day issues.
The report advises that cities in emerging economies and in the early stages of
ICT maturity could improve their performance by focusing on socio-economic
development and incorporate a clear vision of how to leverage ICT in developing
public and private sectors. Citizens' ability to use new technology and gain
direct benefits needs to be at the forefront in order to drive large scale and
long term output.
The report also singles out collaboration between cities as increasingly
important. For example harmonized open data-frameworks, rather than different
systems or protocols, could accelerate for innovation. .
Regårdh explains: "An open data solution could for example allow the same public
transportation information services to work not just in Miami, but in Jakarta or
Mexico City. This would make life easier for tourists and travelers, but also
save infrastructure costs for cities, as they could use solutions of scale."
Even cities with mature economies need to take action to continue to be
competitive and stay connected with future generations of technology.
The Ericsson Networked Society City Index has been developed in close
collaboration with Sweco, the sustainable engineering and design group.
In addition to the top-three ranking cities, Stockholm, London and Singapore,
the following cities are also part of the index: Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cairo,
Copenhagen, Delhi, Dhaka, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg,
Karachi, Lagos, Los Angeles, Manila, Mexico City, Miami, Moscow, Mumbai, New
York, Oslo, Paris, São Paolo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Link to report
Link to infographic
Link to media kit
Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at
www.ericsson.com/press
Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and services.
We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that
allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable
societies around the world.
Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information
and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today
40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we
support customers' networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscriptions.
We are more than 110,000 people working with customers in more than 180
countries. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In
2012 the company's net sales were SEK 227.8 billion (USD 33.8 billion). Ericsson
is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.
www.ericsson.com
www.ericsson.com/news
www.twitter.com/ericssonpress
www.facebook.com/ericsson
www.youtube.com/ericsson
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ericsson Corporate Communications
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com
Ericsson Investor Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 00 00
E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com
Key City Results: http://hugin.info/1061/R/1744089/586828.jpg
New City Index report launched – ranks cities by ICT maturity : http://hugin.info/1061/R/1744089/586827.pdf
[HUG#1744089]