Alibaba Group announced that Alibaba Cloud is set to power the smart city transformation of Macau to ensure better experience to tourists and residents.
The Macau Government will be using the latest cloud computing technologies for upgrading the IT infrastructure in Macau to foster developments in tourism, transportation, healthcare, governance and talent development.
“Alibaba Cloud’s big data and deep learning technologies have been helping to build city brains in China to improve well-being of urban residents. Leveraging our advanced technology and experience in this customized project, we are confident that the success of Macau’s digital transformation will serve as an example of a truly smart city in the region,” said Simon Hu, president of Alibaba Cloud.
The cloud partnership is for four years. In the first phase from 2017 to 2019, the collaboration will focus on cloud computing, smart transportation, smart tourism, smart healthcare, and smart city governance, as well as talent development.
The Macau Government and Alibaba Cloud will collaborate to develop a dedicated smart technology platform with the aim of promoting cloud computing technologies in Macau.
They will build a smart transportation network for the city to optimize the management of road, water and air traffic, making the most effective use of Macau’s transportation resources.
Alibaba will support Macau in its development of smart tourism, leveraging the analysis of visitors and providing target consumer marketing tools. Tourists visiting Macau will enjoy insight-driven guided tours, convenient mobile payments and customized online promotions at the airport, commercial districts, tourist spots, convenience stores and restaurants.
Alibaba will support Macau in enhancing its electronic medical system and assisting healthcare decision-making through the use of online medical information.
Alibaba will assist Macau with the development of a centralized cloud-based platform that connects different government departments to enhance the efficiency of the city’s governance.
Alibaba is launching the Alibaba Cloud IT Certificate program and B2B e-commerce training program with local tertiary educational institutions to support the development of professionals in cloud computing and e-commerce, as well as to identify and nurture startups and talented entrepreneurs in Macau.
Hangzhou City Brain, which was launched in October 2016 based on artificial intelligence and deep learning, achieved reduction in traffic congestion by sending out instant traffic alerts and route suggestions to users by real-time prediction of traffic movement. This transportation management system, piloted in Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District, has increased traffic speed by as much as 11 percent.