Future-proof your traffic network with SaaS

As populations grow, so do urban areas. It’s expected that by 2050, more-developed regions in the world will have 86.6% of their populations living in cities and towns.

Urbanization offers many opportunities for economic growth but it also brings challenges, such as population congestion. In cities with well-established infrastructures, building new roads and highways, or moving existing ones, isn’t always possible. What do you do?

The solution for many cities has been to invest in technology that can grow and adapt to changing demands. But procurement protocols can restrict large purchases to CAPEX budgets, meaning traffic technology purchases usually follow a once-and-done model.

For cities that are growing and changing daily, that model doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility, and traffic engineers find themselves working with expensive systems that aren’t able to address their needs over time. As a result, many cities are choosing an alternative solution that will help them future-proof their traffic technology to stay prepared for the long term: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Here are the top 5 reasons to choose SaaS traffic technology.

1. Scales with your city

   No matter how carefully you plan for the future, you can count on something unexpected to come up. Budget planning is based on current data and trends, and large purchases are usually tied to the strategic plan, so there isn’t a lot of wiggle room when it comes to changes after the fact. As a result, you might be tempted to buy hardware or software in anticipation of needing it in year three or four – but a lot can change in three or four years.With SaaS, you can simplify the planning process by scaling up or down at the right time using your OPEX budget. Smaller changes over time, such as adding features and functionality as needed without having to replace the existing infrastructure, are easier to approve, decrease red tape, and help to achieve your goals quicker.

2. Simplified management

   SaaS simplifies management from both an IT and budget perspective. Because the vendor maintains the hardware, you don’t have to worry about installation, implementation, or maintenance on your own. Simple plug and play set up, remote management, and the latest and greatest software upgrades make life easier for your IT team. Issues can be flagged and fixed without sending people into the field, and centralized data management in the cloud promotes business continuity and security. By simplifying management in this way, your IT team can focus time and resources on other responsibilities.

3. Open and flexible

   When you’re making a long-term investment, shouldn’t it be open and flexible? SaaS solutions are highly adaptable and can integrate with third-party solutions so you can easily share data and collaborate with others to achieve mutual goals. Share real-time data with other departments to create synergies that optimize spending and workflows. You can also integrate with cutting-edge, third-party solutions that leverage traffic technology to improve public services.

4. Always-on support

   The great thing about SaaS is that the service provider is always available to help at every stage of implementation and ongoing use. By offloading traffic infrastructure hardware and software issues to the vendor, traffic engineers can focus on traffic flow optimization and planning to improve the experience of their citizens.

5. Cost-effective

   Instead of an upfront investment of millions of dollars, then thousands more in customer service fees, SaaS offers a yearly payment plan with costs spread over the lifetime of the product. Pay only for what you need to achieve maximum value from your traffic infrastructure.

If you’re looking to transition to SaaS for traffic infrastructure, talk to us. Miovision is the go-to choice for growing cities. We provide traffic solutions that leverage OPEX budgets so that you have more options and flexibility when it comes to managing your traffic technology. Hardware costs can be included in yearly subscriptions and can be adjusted based on your needs. Gain more flexibility and control over your technology and budget with Miovision.

Get in touch for a demo to find out more.