Tuesday, November 8, 2011

NYCWIN more like a loss


From the NY Post:

After five years and more than $500 million spent, the Bloomberg administration has bought itself yet another complex high-tech system that simply doesn’t live up to the hype.

Conceived as a secure wireless network for city agencies, including cops, firefighters and building inspectors, the New York City Wireless Network -- dubbed NYCWiN -- was pitched as a futuristic system like the high-tech gadgets from the TV show “24.”

Under the plans, crews racing to an emergency would have at their fingertips a treasure trove of data ranging from live video feeds to the timing of Midtown traffic lights.

While city officials insist the $535 million system that went operational in 2009 is a success, critics are quick to point out that it is falling far short of expectations.

Among the things the network can’t do are:

* Transmit blueprints and building plans to firefighters and firetrucks.

* Send mug shots to police in their cars or as they walk the beat.

* Function inside most Big Apple buildings.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: my earlier "chump change" remark about the Newtown Creek money- This starts to get to where the real money is flowing!There will be lot more like this coming out over time as the bought third illegal term unravels.Wait til we all see just how much we're on the hook for in total- the DOE budget is the biggie of course!Crony capitalism at its most egregious,no? Occupy Ugland House! Occupy Bermuda!

Anonymous said...

Very often....
"miraculous" high tech solutions add up to more failures and increased costs.

Whereas low tech solutions can, at least, provide needed jobs.

Manpower VS computer:
Which costs us more in the end?

Anonymous said...

Why pay actual working stiffs here a living wage when you can pay your consultant buddies really big bucks on no bid contracts to provide outsourced workers in third world countries who work for slave wages billable at more $/hr. than you and I could ever hope to see in our lifetime? FTM,my friends, always FTM!

Anonymous said...

Now somebody's gotta fix this mess, like in the DOE.More no bid contracts!What else is new?

Anonymous said...

FYI, NYCWiN was not designed to operate in buildings.