Fixed telephony, cellular telephony, broadband, voice and data communication are the services immediately associated with Telefonica Vivo, one of the main companies in the world in the telecommunications market. However, in recent years, the company has directed significant R&D investments in the ICT sector, with an eye on big data, cloud computing and internet of things (IoT) technologies and applications.
What is the reason for this movement? Telefonica Vivo wants to go beyond connectivity and plans to become a provider of technological solutions for smart cities. Portal ABES interviewed Eduardo Koki Iha, manager of the company's Smart Cities Division, who explained about this global strategy and Brazil's position in this scenario.
1. How does Vivo assess the current stage of research and implementation of IoT technologies?
The IoT will encourage the development of telecommunications, it drives us to think beyond connectivity. According to Gartner data, in 2020, we will have more than 26 billion devices connected to the internet, not counting smartphones and tablets. We're talking smart cars, wearables, home appliances and countless other devices. We have to provide these connections with quality, but we also consider creating platforms for managing the data that sensors make available. Thinking about smart cities, digital technology makes services more efficient. But we need to manage the information captured in order to transform this data into benefits for the population and encourage the development of new applications. It is only from this feedback process that we have a smart city.
2. Tell us more details about Vivo's participation in the smart cities project carried out in Santander, Spain.
We can say that this was a large smart city pilot project, which lasted about 3 years and started in 2010. It was a joint effort that brought together the University of Cantabria, the local municipality, the private sector and the community. Telefonica led this project which involved 10 countries. This initiative allowed the development of architectures, essential technologies, services and applications in the context of the Smart City. More than 20,000 sensors were installed, targeting many services: public transport, parking, street lighting, garbage collection, among others. The entire ecosystem created led to the development of new services for the population and the initiative won the "Future Internet Award", given by the Future Internet Assembly (FIA), an important community of researchers in the European Union.
3. How is Vivo's Internet of Things area structured in Brazil?
Telefonica Vivo has an Innovation Center in Brazil aimed at creating new technologies, platforms, patents and equipment. IoT and smart cities are some of the topics that make up the scope of this center. Among the projects in progress, we can mention the partnership with Natura, with whom we are developing a process control project in the collection of raw materials in one of the extractive communities in which the company is present. We also encourage the creation of a research ecosystem and partnerships with developers, entrepreneurs and universities in order to accelerate application development. We participate in the editions of Campus Party, Hackathon, promoted by FIESP, we provide development kits, among other initiatives.
4. What are the company's current smart city projects in Brazil or other regions?
In Europe, Telefonica will participate in another project in Spain, located in the tourist city of Valencia, aimed at improving all public management. I don't have many details yet, but I know that we will participate in the organization of existing services in the municipality over 3 years, which will be modernized through the implementation of digital technologies. Throughout this transformation, services will be connected to our smart cities platform. We will participate together with other companies. Here in Brazil, Telefonia Vivo has the Águas de São Pedro project, in the interior of São Paulo, which became the first digital 100% city in Brazil. We started, in 2013, with all the modernization of the telecommunications infrastructure and, now, we are implementing new solutions to transform it into a smart city. Lighting, security, parking, education, tourism and health are the verticals worked on. Bull, Ericsson, Datanext, Fundação Vanzolini, Grupo Bem, Grupo Gol, Huawei, Informar Saúde, On the Spot and the Profissão Saúde Portal are our partners in this project. We will present this case in the next edition of Futurecom, which takes place from October 13th to 16th, in São Paulo.
What is the reason for this movement? Telefonica Vivo wants to go beyond connectivity and plans to become a provider of technological solutions for smart cities. Portal ABES interviewed Eduardo Koki Iha, manager of the company's Smart Cities Division, who explained about this global strategy and Brazil's position in this scenario.
1. How does Vivo assess the current stage of research and implementation of IoT technologies?
The IoT will encourage the development of telecommunications, it drives us to think beyond connectivity. According to Gartner data, in 2020, we will have more than 26 billion devices connected to the internet, not counting smartphones and tablets. We're talking smart cars, wearables, home appliances and countless other devices. We have to provide these connections with quality, but we also consider creating platforms for managing the data that sensors make available. Thinking about smart cities, digital technology makes services more efficient. But we need to manage the information captured in order to transform this data into benefits for the population and encourage the development of new applications. It is only from this feedback process that we have a smart city.
2. Tell us more details about Vivo's participation in the smart cities project carried out in Santander, Spain.
We can say that this was a large smart city pilot project, which lasted about 3 years and started in 2010. It was a joint effort that brought together the University of Cantabria, the local municipality, the private sector and the community. Telefonica led this project which involved 10 countries. This initiative allowed the development of architectures, essential technologies, services and applications in the context of the Smart City. More than 20,000 sensors were installed, targeting many services: public transport, parking, street lighting, garbage collection, among others. The entire ecosystem created led to the development of new services for the population and the initiative won the "Future Internet Award", given by the Future Internet Assembly (FIA), an important community of researchers in the European Union.
3. How is Vivo's Internet of Things area structured in Brazil?
Telefonica Vivo has an Innovation Center in Brazil aimed at creating new technologies, platforms, patents and equipment. IoT and smart cities are some of the topics that make up the scope of this center. Among the projects in progress, we can mention the partnership with Natura, with whom we are developing a process control project in the collection of raw materials in one of the extractive communities in which the company is present. We also encourage the creation of a research ecosystem and partnerships with developers, entrepreneurs and universities in order to accelerate application development. We participate in the editions of Campus Party, Hackathon, promoted by FIESP, we provide development kits, among other initiatives.
4. What are the company's current smart city projects in Brazil or other regions?
In Europe, Telefonica will participate in another project in Spain, located in the tourist city of Valencia, aimed at improving all public management. I don't have many details yet, but I know that we will participate in the organization of existing services in the municipality over 3 years, which will be modernized through the implementation of digital technologies. Throughout this transformation, services will be connected to our smart cities platform. We will participate together with other companies. Here in Brazil, Telefonia Vivo has the Águas de São Pedro project, in the interior of São Paulo, which became the first digital 100% city in Brazil. We started, in 2013, with all the modernization of the telecommunications infrastructure and, now, we are implementing new solutions to transform it into a smart city. Lighting, security, parking, education, tourism and health are the verticals worked on. Bull, Ericsson, Datanext, Fundação Vanzolini, Grupo Bem, Grupo Gol, Huawei, Informar Saúde, On the Spot and the Profissão Saúde Portal are our partners in this project. We will present this case in the next edition of Futurecom, which takes place from October 13th to 16th, in São Paulo.
EN 
PT 
