Which cities are the most tech savvy?
Which cities are the most technologically mature around the world?
According to an annual report (.pdf) released by Ericsson, the 2013 edition of Ericsson's Networked City Index, Stockholm, London and Singapore have been ranked as the top three cities among 31 measured for their ITC use and proficiency.
The research says that IT use is now linked to social, economic and environmental impact within urban areas. The use of technology within these cities includes how technology impacts a city's core infrastructure, 4G connectivity, open data and the ease of e-transactions for the general public.
Stockholm, the Swedish capital, ranked highest due to its well-developed IT infrastructure, the high rate of mobile device penetration and high-speed connectivity. London and Singapore also scored highly in these areas -- which includes the speed of connection and affordability. Patrik Regårdh, Head of Ericsson's Networked Society Lab said:
"IT significantly speeds up interactions between various actors, making them more intense and cost-effective. The reduced cost of information exchange and transactions lowers the threshold for new enterprises and collaborations. As a result, a city's economic development becomes vitalized."
The report also cites cases of collaboration between cities through open-source technology. Open data frameworks can be used to innovate across the globe, for example, the same public transportation information services could work not only in London, but in Mexico. Not only can this make life easier for tourists and locals, but can also save money for the cities in question, as solutions of scale can be used.
The report advises that cities in emerging economies and in the early stages of IT maturity could improve their performance by learning from the success and mistakes of other, more developed cities, and should focus on socio-economic development and incorporate a clear vision of how to leverage technology in developing public and private sectors.
However, the electronics maker says that even cities with developed economies need to continue to innovate in order to remain competitive and cope with future technology.
In addition to the top-three ranking cities, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dhaka, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Los Angeles, Manila, Mexico City, Miami, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Oslo, Paris, São Paolo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo were also part of the top IT country index.
Read the report.
Image credit: Flickr
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com