Chalkida: the art of being smart!

Chalkida, capital of Evia, Greece’s second largest island, leads the way for smart cities since the recent adoption of technologies and applications that improve everyday life. Recently, pilot “smart" applications were installed in the city for parking, lighting and air quality monitoring through a single management platform. The project, jointly implemented by OTE Group, Cisco, KAFKAS and OTS proves in practice how technology can improve our daily lives.

Parking: easier than ever!
The "smart" parking solution, coupled with a mobile application developed by OTS, available for Android and iOS devices, enables drivers to be informed about free parking spaces and how they will get there; in case the selected parking space has been occupied the application redirects the driver to another location. This application is anticipated to significantly reduce the parking searching time, and furthermore, decongest traffic and reduce vehicle emissions. Also, the Municipal Authority will be able to manage parking spaces more effectively, as it will be aware of the parking time of each vehicle and any violations.

Lighting the way to energy saving
The smart lighting system, of SSL/LED technology installed by KAFKAS, replaced conventional light bulbs and contributed to saving more than 60% in electricity consumption. Through its wireless management, the system allows remote monitoring, setup, operation and maintenance, as well as dynamic lighting adjustment, aiming to the optimal energy consumption, security and visual ease of citizens.

Breath in. Breath out …fresh clean air!
The air quality monitoring, established by OTE Group, utilizes top-quality sensors identifying harmful emissions in the atmosphere and three types of particles. It will also measure temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure, thus enabling the Municipal Authority to optimize plans and implement actions for reducing air pollution and improving residents' wellbeing.

Many smart applications on one platform
Data from the smart solutions will be pooled in Cloud infrastructures provided by OTE Group and will consequently end up to Cisco's management Smart & Connected Digital Platform. The platform enables the management of "smart" solutions, as well as integration, saving and visualization of data, through a unified dashboard. Furthermore, the Smart & Connected Digital Platform is able to incorporate more smart solutions in the future.

The mayor of Chalkida, Mr. Christos Pagonis stated: "With the valuable assistance of such significant partners, Chalkida makes a big step towards becoming an example of "green" & "smart" city, in Greece. This project proves that state-of-art technologies can play a vital role ensuring citizens' wellbeing, reducing environmental implications and energy demand. We are proud that our city paves the way for the future".

"The new digital era provides us all with the tools so as to change our daily lives through technology. With the installation of "smart" solutions in Chalkida, OTE Group, Cisco, OTS and KAFKAS, show in practice how to make our cities more functional, how to protect the environment, how to reduce operational costs and how to offer better life quality. By fully utilizing IT & Communications technologies, we can make the word better" Mr. Grigoris Christopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer Business Segment OF OTE Group, stated.