Complete Story
04/17/2018
Cox Talks Smart City Co-Creation
The Internet of Things is a messy business, which is why Cox isn't interested in selling a single product, platform or even mode of connectivity as it enters the smart cities market. Instead, it wants to consult with cities about what they need and then leverage its IoT software stack, sensor hardware, network infrastructure, customer support presence and even its vehicle assets through sister company Cox Automotive to deliver it all.
"[It's] really a consultative approach that leads to a sandbox," says Barak Weinisman, general manager of Cox2M Connected Asset Services.
In this case, the consultation part comes in the form of Cox Communications Inc. executives meeting with city representatives in 18 states where the cableco already does business. That's a process that's been ongoing for the last several months and mimics what other service providers like AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) are also doing. (See AT&T's Smart City Ambitions Take Root and Verizon Takes 'One Fiber' to More Cities.)
The sandbox part comes from deploying Cox's new Cox2M industrial IoT solution and then testing out different devices, billing models and data use cases to "co-create" the systems with cities that work best to improve their operations.
