John Bogna
On Monday, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) debuted a new laboratory in northwest Houston, where they plan to use the tech developed there to enhance our daily lives.
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HPE’s lab will investigate the interconnected tech widgets we encounter regularly in attempts to optimize them, using data from street sensors to put out traffic alerts or designing pump systems capable of predicting when parts will break.
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The collective data available to be gathered from everyday objects and quantified by this process is referred to as the “internet of things,” and it is arguably the lifeblood of the tech industry.
“There’s a belief that, inside things, there’s pent-up information that’s valuable,” Tom Bradicich, HPE’s vice president and general manager of servers, converged edge and internet of things systems, said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “And with that valuable information, we can have improved business outcomes, improved scientific outcomes and improved societal outcomes.”
One way experts agree this information can be productively utilized is through the creation of “smart cities,” where traffic flow can be improved, security systems enhanced and people can easily access up-to-the-minute details about their surroundings, such as whether parking is available at their destination.
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Whatever the cost, a real-time, heads up on parking alone would be worth it in Houston.
