Smart Cloud by Digital Birmingham

TEAM LEADER

Raj S Mack  raj.s.mack@birmingham.gov.uk

TEAM MEMBERS

The team is

Raj S Mack  raj.s.mack@birmingham.gov.uk

Annette C King   annette.c.king@birmingham.gov.uk

Peter Rayson at BCU and Jonnie Turpie at Maverick TV

The key aim of this proposal is the creation of a digital city platform that provides integrated technology, content and services through a cloud.

The Digital City Platform will be a major development space for models for digital engagement with one of the most diverse communities in the UK/EU. The digital city platform would be used to deliver news and services from health to planning, open data and information; science and technology, arts and culture.  Such a proposal supports National government aims of establishing the creation of innovative solutions to deliver Local TV within UK cities.

Such a facility will contribute to engagement and participation; getting people online:  support public sector transformation; integrated education from schools to universities; tourism, leisure and reputational growth; art, science and technological innovation and encourage business led growth across sectors through a state of the art digital delivery and presence.

The digital city platform would be served by a computing cloud.  The cloud would provide access to local and global media content and services. It would consolidate and develop current public, private and 3rd sector networks by providing an infrastructure, content and services delivery platform.

A digitally driven economy providing digital services and products will drive economic and sustainable growth. Cloud Computing incorporates the benefits of social networking sites such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and the exponential rise of mobile technology Smartphone’s and their “App’s.” The Cloud phenomena is driving the move to very large scale data centres that are environmentally managed with a very high utilization index resulting from the use of virtualisation methods for emulating servers and delivering Software as a Service

>Cloud Computing will enable Birmingham to re-invent itself as a marketplace for Digital products and services, locally and globally. To achieve this Birmingham will need to establish a Cloud Environment that is inclusive, open, connecting business, government, home, voluntary services, schools, colleges and universities.

The first step on this road is the establishment of a Birmingham based Cloud infrastructure and outward facing platform.  The key to the Cloud is the data centre.  Cloud Services require a delivery infrastructure which is Broadband both fibre optic and mobile 4G. To be economically impactful this needs to be locally fast and internationally connected with secure cyber security. With this in place efficient and agile services can be delivered

The digital platform will require strategic investment and restructuring of Government services; funding to undertake such a strategic transformation exists in Brussels and would require collaboration between EU, UK and Birmingham City to establish a European lighthouse programme for establishing a Sustainable Digitally Powered Economy.