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Municipal infrastructure is planned and operated for decades. Yet the decision about which systems will manage and control it digitally is being made today. And it is being made at a point when nobody can predict which sensor technology, which communication standards or which smart city applications will lead the field in ten years' time.

According to Armin Mühlberger, Managing Director of sixData GmbH, this is where one of the most underestimated risks in municipal digitalisation projects lies. In a detailed interview he discusses the opportunities and the dangers of the smart city. He also explains why open, vendor-independent platforms are becoming the decisive foundation for investment security.

 

The most common mistake: thinking about digitalisation too narrowly

Many projects begin with the selection of a single piece of software or a particular manufacturer. What is easily overlooked is that municipal infrastructure grows over decades and develops continuously.

If hardware, control systems, software and cloud services all come from a single provider, the municipality has only limited room to manoeuvre when it comes to extensions, modernisation or a later change of system. The consequences often become apparent only after several years. They show up as reduced competition, restricted capacity for innovation and rising costs.

"The data belongs to the municipality, not to the software or hardware manufacturer." Armin Mühlberger, Managing Director, sixData GmbH

 

Three criteria for future-proof investments

In the interview, Armin Mühlberger names three criteria that decision-makers should apply when selecting new systems.

1. Vendor independence. Municipalities should be able to combine luminaires, controllers, sensors and software freely. The decision should be guided by quality and cost-effectiveness rather than by whether everything comes from a single source. This keeps competition alive and makes future procurement easier.

2. Open interfaces and standards. A modern platform has to bring together data from different sources and remain open to future technologies. This is the only way to integrate new solutions step by step without having to replace existing investments.

3. Data sovereignty for the municipality. Infrastructure and operating data are a valuable part of municipal assets. They must be available, exportable and usable independently of any single provider at all times. This applies in particular if the system is replaced at a later date.

 

Security and openness are not a contradiction

As networking increases, street lighting is also becoming a potential target for attack. Cyber security should therefore be considered from the outset. The decisive factors are secure system architectures, regular updates, encrypted communication and professional hosting concepts.

Openness does not stand in the way of this. On the contrary. If a single system or provider fails, an open architecture means that the entire infrastructure is not necessarily affected. Components or service providers can be replaced without having to rebuild the infrastructure from scratch.

"Security and openness are not mutually exclusive. An open architecture creates long-term investment security and future viability." Armin Mühlberger, Managing Director, sixData GmbH

 

luxData.connect: a platform for the municipal infrastructure of tomorrow

This is the approach sixData pursues with luxData.connect. The platform connects systems and manufacturers on a shared, vendor-independent level.

In practice, most municipalities operate infrastructure that has grown over time, with components from different manufacturers and different generations. Replacing all of it would rarely make economic sense. Open interfaces and standards therefore allow existing systems to be integrated step by step and managed together.

The scope of application extends well beyond street lighting. Traffic signs, traffic signal systems, green spaces, playgrounds, parking systems, charging infrastructure and IoT sensors can also be brought together on a central platform. The aim is neither isolated solutions nor costly full migrations, but a data foundation that grows with the requirements of the municipality.

 

The full interview

In the interview, Armin Mühlberger also addresses the economic advantages of open platforms. He describes the vendor lock-in risk associated with cloud systems and sets out his most important piece of advice for municipal decision-makers.

"Do not make a decision today that takes away your freedom tomorrow." Armin Mühlberger, Managing Director, sixData GmbH

➜ Read the interview as a PDF