Page 26 - Security Today, April 2021

less post-disaster support than do non-poor people.” Stakehold- ers focused on sustainability are likely to view this more from a human perspective than a technology perspective. When address- ing their concerns, focus on proactive solutions that provide early detection of dangerous conditions, deliver timely notification to people in affected areas, and shorten deployment times of emer- gency services.
Framing technology solutions in terms of the stakeholder’s citizen-centric mindset gives them peace of mind that the prod- ucts and services you offer can have a positive impact on the com- munity they serve.
TALKING WITH CITY MANAGERS
In large metropolitan areas, the chief executive of the city is likely to be the mayor. In smaller local governments, executive authority is likely held by the city manager. Unlike other siloed stakeholders mentioned above, city managers are as diverse in fo- cus as the communities they serve. Because city management is a career-track positions, managers often bring to their current role extensive experience with managing other cities or towns.
The best advice is to talk less, listen more. Ask this stakeholder to share stories about where they worked in the past, what chal- lenges they helped those communities overcome and how those accomplishments are influencing their focus today. This will help you understand their passions, what obstacles they might be fac- ing and where your knowledge and skills as a technology expert can help them bring their plans to fruition.
TALKING WITH CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS
The Chief Information Officer is generally the stakeholder re- sponsible for drafting the city’s technology strategy and policies as well as managing all the technology owned and administered by the local government. To do their job effectively, they need to maintain a good working relationship with the city manager/ mayor/council and with the chief procurement officer – the per- son signing the check for technology investments.
Besides wanting to know how to wring every ounce of value from the technology they purchase, the other concerns foremost
in this stakeholder’s mind are:
• Security of the countless nodes, endpoints, and IoT devices on
the city’s network
• Ensuring that newly adopted technology conforms to the city’s
IT policies
• Efficiently managing all technology with limited personnel re-
sources
In conversations with these stakeholders, it’s important to
steer the discussion less towards solutions, and more towards how proposed technology will live within their environment. This should include topics like cybersecurity, device lifecycle manage- ment and administrative tools that can help them streamline day- to-day operations.
FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY
Local governments are complex organizations looking for technology solutions. In her keynote address at the 2020 Smart Cities Week conference, US Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), stated that there’s an estimated $1.1B in Smart City Grant programs planned to be distributed in the next 5 years, and that city govern- ments are expected to spend $41T in “Smart Technology” over the next 20 years.
If your organization can navigate the diverse stakeholders within local governments and help them visualize how your of- ferings can solve their specific challenges, you can build long term growth in the Smart City vertical segment. In addition, you’ll have the satisfaction that comes from impacting communities in a positive way.
Kevin Taylor is the segment development manager, Smart Cities, for Axis Communications, Inc.
1 Hallegatte, Stephane, Adrien Vogt-Schilb, Mook Bangalore, and Julie Rozenberg. 2017. Un- breakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters. Climate Change and Development Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1003-9. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO
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