The Nivis and Cisco collaboration has joined breakthrough technologies that can be used in myriad every day circumstances. Now industrial networks can be extended beyond the computer to include network-enabled devices such as parking meters, streetlights, traffic lights, utility transformers and utility meters.

The Cisco Live demonstration illustrates how this technology can be specifically applied to municipal uses involving streetlights, electrical and parking meters as well as electronic signage. Also participating in the demonstration is Acuity Brands ROAM, a leading provider of streetlight monitoring. ROAM products and services improve streetlight performance, reduce operating costs, and improve billing accuracy.

Nivis is presenting a new wireless network technology that allows disparate devices and sensors to communicate via a sophisticated neural network system using the 6LoWPAN(IPv6) protocol."IPv6 is a protocol whose time has come. If we are serious about networking virtually everything, and we should be, then IPv6 is the place to be. Instrumenting and linking the devices that surround us can dramatically increase their utility and manageability. In times of crisis such networked devices may be the key to communicating to the general public and to assisting responders," observed Vint Cerf, Chief Operations Officer, Google.

"This is a fantastic glimpse into just some of the potential applications for 6LoWPAN and embedded IP. The simplicity of the design by Nivis, Cisco and Acuity belies the feature-rich capabilities and interoperability available from the system," Geoff Mulligan, IETF 6LoWPAN Working Group Chair and ISA100 NetComm Chair, notes. "I'm seeing more and more applications making use of the 6LoWPAN Open International Standard and to see these companies come together to show this innovative application is great."

In the Cisco Live demonstration, a wireless mesh network of streetlights communicates with a parking meter. The meter communicates with a sensor ring in the parking space and the gleaned information is sent to a Cisco cell phone. As a result, the technology allows consumers using the Internet to see if a parking space is available ahead of their arrival or if their meter has expired. Security officers are alerted by the system to turn on the streetlight to provide better security and municipalities can identify expired meters.