North Carolina is expanding use of the Opendatasoft platform

Morrisville, North Carolina, has signed a contract to extend the use of the software-as-a-service (SaaS) Opendatasoft platform to power its open data portal and smart city programmes.

The US town of Morrisville is committed to using technology and data to enhance the lives of its 30,000 residents. It embarked on the Smart Morrisville smart city programme on the Opendatasoft platform in 2019.

The Opendatasoft platform has brought benefits in a range of areas including in the town’s Connected Parks project, where Internet of Things (IoT) flood and ground moisture sensors trigger the automatic closure of soccer fields if they are too wet for play.

The platform also enables citizens to obtain information on permit applications, such as for building alterations, on a drill-down map on its portal, avoiding the need to call for status updates.

The town also shares police and fire incident data, mappable by location and which can be analysed by incident type.

Its latest smart city project is Morrisville Central, a free app providing residents with all the information they need about their community. The app centralises data from multiple platforms, such as Opendatasoft’s dataset of all town amenities, which underpins its central map. This means that if information changes in the dataset, the app automatically updates in real-time, ensuring consistency and removing the need for manual administration.

“Opendatasoft is integral to delivering our smart city vision to our residents, providing transparency and enabling seamless information sharing,” said Billy Whitehead, smart city programme manager, Morrisville. “In addition to the strength of the platform, we really value the great customer support we get from Opendatasoft – they work closely with us to help turn our ideas into reality.”