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Chesapeake is latest to explore smart city options

By | December 15, 2009, 6:44 PM PST

The larger a city, the larger its infrastructure — like roads and bridgeways and waterways — and the harder it is to keep track of everything that’s going on. Layer onto that a business climate that supports more than 80 companies based in 19 nations OTHER than the United States, and you have a recipe for municipal madness.

That’s the challenge faced by Chesapeake, Virginia, which covers more than 353 square miles and manages more “deep water canals” than any other city in the nation. The city government decided it was time to get a better handle on these assets, and it has started by spending approximately $1.2 million across facilities, parks and recreation land, transportation systems, public utilities and works, and technology to do so.

IBM is one of its partners in this endeavor. Specifically, Chesapeake is installing IBM Maximo software, which will be used for asset and maintenance tasks in Public Utilities, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, the Police Department and Facilities Management.

IBM software manages the maintenance of equipment and facilities for the Chesapeake Public Works Department, including the people and trucks using brine for snow removal at the Chesapeake Expressway Toll Plaza

IBM software manages the maintenance of equipment and facilities for the Chesapeake Public Works Department, including the people and trucks using brine for snow removal at the Chesapeake Expressway Toll Plaza

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Heather Clancy

About Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy

Contributing Editor

Heather Clancy has written for United Press International, ZDNet, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times. She holds a degree from McGill University. She is based in New Jersey.

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Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy

I am fascinated about how businesses of all sizes can transform their operations through technology -- not just to make themselves more efficient, but to rise above their competitors. That's the theme for my two ZDNet blogs, Small Business Matters and Next-Gen Partner. For SmartPlanet, I'm focused on profiling inspirational and controversial business leaders who have great leadership lessons to share. I also write regularly and passionately about corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues for GreenBiz.com.

Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where an engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as appropriate.

My corporate writing work usually consists of crafting research white papers about some aspect of technology or moderating Webcasts. In the event that my commentary (in written, audio or video form) mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. However, there is no connection between these projects and topics that I cover in my blogs.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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