Siemens has 9 per cent of the global market for road traffic business with cities like Berlin, London, Seattle and those in the Ruhr showing the success of this intelligent traffic solution.

In the Ruhr region, Germany's biggest conurbation, the traffic management system constantly picks up electronic data on the traffic situation on motorways, federal highways, state highways and primary municipal roads and from 200 sensing points in urban centres such as Bochum, Dortmund, Essen and Gelsenkirchen.

The traffic-situation data are then analysed and integrated with data from other modes of transport, such as the railways and urban mass-transit systems, reported from 11 towns, four boroughs and 13 transport operators. This process provides the region with access to up-to-date traffic information and traffic forecasts.

Transport users can select a route optimal for their needs and choose how to reach their destination - faster and safer than previously. This up-to-date information is already available on the Internet and in the future will also be disseminated by radio, newspapers, teletext, mobile telephones and motorway information displays.

As each area is different, the design and cost for system implementation depend on the existing local infrastructure.

Although Siemens' telecommunication sector will no longer be consolidated following the giant merger with Nokia late last month, the German firm still has eight other sectors to focus in its business worldwide.

Siemens' telecom business has played a substantial role in the Thai market but in years to come there might be some more on offer from this innovative firm.

With China and India gathering steam, Asia represents a huge growth market for the German company, although its main customer is the United States.

For the World Cup hosted by its homeland, Siemens implemented the intelligent traffic solution along with its other solutions throughout the 12 stadiums accommodating the matches.

Besides the stadiums, parking lots, seats, tickets, and equipment on the pitch, Siemens also embedded a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in the players' boots and the match ball, which can transmit player movements and open up new possibilities for analysing games.

The Beijing Olympics in two years is also one of Siemens' targets to take control of all security, buildings, information, energy, facilities and event management.

Turning to natural resources, a bottle of water in Thailand costs only Bt7, far cheaper than any other place, especially Europe and the US. Most Thais are not much concerned about water as only some areas temporarily suffer from shortages in some seasons.

However, according to Siemens' data, less than 1 per cent of the Earth's water is usable while the global population will add 2.5 billion people by 2035 mainly in the regions with water shortages.

Many more cities in the world are starting to face water supply problems. To deal with this imbalance between natural resources and global demand, technology seems to be the only way out.

Cities like Singapore, Kuwait, Vienna and Beijing have already applied Siemens' desalination technology.

With global oil prices stuck on a high plane, gas is the centre of attraction to help reduce the use of oil.

For the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand's power plant in Bang Pakong, Siemens was among the bidders to offer gas plant technology.

Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon

The Nation

BERLIN