Scroll down for quick news takes and developments involving Smart Cities Council Partners.
Continental signs on to develop connected EVs in China
Council Global Lead Partner Continental will work with China's Didi Chuxing to develop connected electric vehicles specifically for Didi's ride-hailing service vehicle fleet. The vehicles will be suited for streets in traffic-congested cities such as Shanghai and Beijing and will include more comfortable seating and luggage space.
Battelle snags new federal laboratory management contract
Council Associate Partner Battelle has landed a new federal laboratory management contract. The contract for Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is Battelle's seventh, and its largest. Battelle and two university business partners will, in addition to carrying out management responsibilities, take over nuclear energy and security research for the laboratory.
Cisco takes on large-scale Australia IoT venture
Council Lead Partner Cisco will work with infrastructure service company Downer to provide a variety of smart city applications to support Australia's transportation and infrastructure industry. Downer will work with the Cisco Kinetic for Cities IoT network platform to provide applications for smart street lighting, traffic signal management, security and waste management. The project will focus on applications related to public safety and operational efficiency.
Itron to deliver major upgrade for Texas water utility
The city of Pearland, Texas has chosen Council Global Lead Partner Itron to upgrade its water utility with technology that will cut water loss, improve water delivery and customer service and help the city's 120,000 customers conserve water. Itron will replace the city's existing 37,000 meters with its Open Way Riva water communications devices and leak sensors. Pearland's water utility also will use Itron Analytics, a software-as-a-service solution that collects and analyzes data to improve overall operational awareness.
AT&T to expand security solutions with AlienVault acquisition
Council Global Lead Partner AT&T will buy cybersecurity company AlienVault to supply effective security solutions for its customers. The agreement will bring together AT&Ts cybersecurity portfolio and AlienVault's threat intelligence expertise. "Regardless of size or industry, businesses today need cyber threat detection and response technologies and services," said Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO for AT&T Business. "The current threat landscape has shifted this from a luxury for some, to a requirement for all."
Doug Peeples is a Portland, Oregon-based writer specializing in technology and energy. Follow @smartccouncil on Twitter.
