Page 53 - Reference framework for integrated management of an SSC - A U4SSC deliverable on city platforms

Such could be the case for the tourism activity. As mentioned above, the setting in motion of semantic
models able to capture the reality of an urban ecosystem constitutes a valuable opportunity not
only for the efficient and sustainable management of resources in the overall local economy but
also, in a tourism context, as a direct way towards the competitive evolution of the tourism offer
of products and services. Through a model able to identify give proper meaning and establish
relations inside and outside the tourism-related terminology, the application of a semantic standard
allowing interoperability is possible. By meeting this essential condition, in which the tourism offer,
and public services are capable of speaking the same language, a new digital configuration of
the city as a destination, able to provide more and better services tailored to each tourist needs,
is within reach.

4.3 Reference technological architecture

We can define the information and communications technology (ICT) architecture of a Smart and
Sustainable City as a complex set of components, functional blocks, hardware, telecommunication
networks, services and applications that interact with one another and whose influence is capital
for the correct development of the Smart City. This architecture must cover heterogeneous
geographical areas, use multiple technologies, be valid for different types of cities, be safe and
available, and have to operate over time. It must also provide services that allow the building of
valuable applications for citizens, companies, administrations and visitors.

The basic principles with which the ICT architecture must comply are that it is standards-based,
flexible, scalable and fault-tolerant. It must also provide security, information protection (privacy),
advanced services and standardized ability to exchange information with internal and external
systems.

There are different visions (see Figure 9) to address how to describe, identify and classify ICT
systems and subsystems along with their relationships. Each of them aims to offer an approach
oriented towards different interest groups.

• The functional vision: Focuses on aspects related to specific activities of the city and how
these activities use ICT architecture to solve specific needs. For example, intelligent energy
management or mobility.

• The management vision: Focuses on how the architecture is deployed, operated, managed,
and maintained. It also applies to the description of services, logical security, manufacturers,
information management and usability of the architecture by citizens.
• The physical vision: Focuses on the location, type, power, bandwidth, storage and other
characteristics of the elements of the computing and communications architectures.

• The business vision: Focuses on the economic sustainability of ICT architecture based on
investments and returns for the city.

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