For many workers today, the standard 9-5 workday is becoming a thing of the past. With family commitments and a desire for a better work-life balance, many employees are enjoying flexible work patterns and working outside of these hours.
But how can major towns and cities respond to these changes and predict the new “rush hour” trends? And how do retailers analyse the best opening hours when launching in a new location?
The answer is simple! With the use of revolutionary M2M technology!
For retailers looking to launch a convenience store in a new location, a pedestrian counter could help monitor pavement footfall and calculate the optimum times for opening. If a new store is close to a train station, commuters would form a large portion of the passing traffic at certain times of the day. But students from a nearby college, however, could be passing back and forth at any given time of day. By using a pedestrian counter connected by M2M technology, a true picture of footfall can be quickly and easily obtained.
For local authorities, traffic trends can be analysed with the use of an Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) such as those produced by Springboard. Installing ATRs on specific stretches of road would help to track traffic flow and understand where congestion builds and at what time of time. This valuable data can then be used to design and implement congestion reducing-solutions to keep towns and cities moving.
M2M solutions can also help local authorities to reduce crime on the roads. The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology helps to enforce speed limits, bus lane use and congestion charges. In addition, emergency services are able to use this technology to identify vehicle owners following an accident or incident.
ANPR technology has also proven itself in road safety when used as part of an average speed check. An example of this is SPECS from Vysionics, which has helped to reduce speeding on the infamously dangerous A9 in Scotland by a staggering 97%. The system has also helped to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries by up to 70%.
So it’s clear to see that M2M technology is an invaluable tool in helping to track movements in our towns and cities today, not only for local authorities but also for retailers to help them plan their strategies and tactics.
For communications resellers looking to provide these valuable tools in cities, wholesale communications provider, Zest4, have recently formed a partnership with M2M experts, Arkessa. This partnerships enables Zest4 to offer reseller partners complete M2M solutions including expert knowledge, optimised tariffs and competitive commercials. In addition, resellers can benefit from Zest4’s unrivalled service levels and dedicated commercial and technical support.
For more information on M2M solutions from Zest4, call 0161 956 3355 or visit http://www.zest4.com/machine-to-machine.php.