OREANDA-NEWS. July 23, 2015. SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced that it is expanding its commitment to help urban leaders deliver a high quality of life to their citizens, building on the success of the SAP Urban Matters initiative launched in 2012.

The expanded program, to be branded SAP Future Cities, is a response to strong customer demand and rapidly evolving economic, social and environmental factors facing cities. These range from the rise of the sharing economy to the imperative to better manage congestion, public safety and the effects of climate change. SAP will continue to share internationally proven management practices for effective use of technology in these contexts, enabling leaders to better respond to citizens, make faster decisions and manage scarce resources.

With technology as a means, SAP is working with cities worldwide to help them better engage with citizens, drive prosperity, deliver enhanced services, improve tax and revenue collection, address social inclusion, open up government and increase public safety and sustainability. The impact of innovations springing from SAP Future Cities can be seen in cities as diverse as Barcelona, Bhopal, Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Melbourne.

“With the world’s population continuing to urbanize, cities are now at the heart of SAP’s mission to make the world run better – and critical for our public sector business,” said Isabella Groegor-Cechowicz, general manager, SAP Public Services. “Customers at all levels of government are seeking our help with strategies to address urban opportunities and challenges.”

The Internet of Things Helps Keep Buenos Aires Dry

For example, situated at the mouth of the Rio Plata, Buenos Aires is subject to annual torrential rains. Given the city’s aging infrastructure and dense population, flooding has historically been an issue. Clogged storm drains have slowed down the city, caused property damage and even resulted in lost lives. Today, however, the city is experiencing less flood damage. Using the SAP HANA platform to analyze real-time sensor data from storm drains and SAP Mobile Platform to help ensure streets and drains are clear, the City of Buenos Aires is better prepared to mitigate risks caused by heavy rains. As more cities face the challenge of surmounting extreme weather, lessons from Buenos Aires can be shared worldwide.

“Our urban business is built upon 20 years’ experience, incorporating 4,500 city and local government customers and their wide-ranging innovation agendas,” said Sean O’Brien, global vice president for Future Cities & Public Security, SAP. “With the expansion of SAP Future Cities, we’ll be focusing on improved livability for urban residents and visitors in areas such as citizen engagement, transport, public safety and infrastructure management.”