Israel is a high tech country. Not only because of the number of high tech companies flourishing here but also by the number of high tech applications used here as a routine part of life.
For us, newcomers, it is easy to spot such novel and cool things, things that are done differently and better than in the US. But of course there are other technology areas where Israel is lagging behind. I recently called Tel Aviv police and had to wait 3 minutes till a dispatcher answered. There was no answering signal, just the monotone rings and I was doubting that I dialed correctly. Just when I was about to hang up a woman answered and started slowly asking who am I and where I live. Only 5 minutes after I dialed we finally got to the reason of my call. Likely it wasn't an emergency. Boston's police answers immediately, automatically recognizes who you are and where are you calling from, by the number. They will even come in 5 min if you call and hang up. They will come if you hear noises in your yard or to replace the batteries in your smoke detector in the middle of the night. They will also come to direct traffic and insure student safety at school. Hopefully, soon in Israel.
- Start with the simple stuff: texting. Almost every communication is done via SMS (short messaging service available on most phones): grandmothers chatting with their kids, music lesson scheduling, birthday party reminders, cable company announcements. In Boston only young and hip were aware of this technology on their cell phones.
- Street parking made easier. Imagine parking anywhere in Boston, pressing one button on your iPhone app to initiate the parking meter count, pressing another when you are done and paying only a $1 or $2 that will be automatically deducted from your credit card at the end of the month. Pango is a local company that provides easy and cheap paid parking interface, in agreement with the municipalities. No need for parking meters, coins or punch-cards. You register with this service once by linking your cell number to your car license plate to your payment means. Then, just park anywhere in Israel along the designated and abundant blue and white curb and use the app to pay. GPS on your phone automatically recognizes what town you are in and charges the amount based on the municipal rate. For example, in Tel Aviv you can park for up to 3 hours, paying 5.5 shekel per hour if you do not reside there and 0.69 shekels if you are a resident. How does parking officer know that you paid? He uses another app that connects to the main database that knows that you set your parking timer on.
- Smart Elevators. It is likely this technology is being used somewhere in Manhattan or Chicago skyscrapers but I have never seen this before. Button-less elevators that are guided by a central optimization technology. Every floor has a few panels where you punch the floor number you need to go to and then the panel directs you to go to the elevator A or E or G that soon will be going to your floor. You enter this elevator and realize that centralized elevator brain optimized waiting time, riding time, number of stops and perhaps electricity by grouping together people that go to the same floor. My elevator stopped only on the floor 4, 10, and 11. There were no buttons inside other than emergency ones.
- All your medical needs on one website (Maccabi). Browse doctors, schedule appointments, request referrals, review results of the tests and probably much more. The website by the way is developed by the company my brother works for - eWave - and they are starting to bring this technology to the US.
- Technology at schools. Kids and parents are encouraged to use Google Docs for collaboration. 3rd graders are preparing power point presentation. All the homework is posted online daily on the school website by kids or teachers. Exam schedule - online. There is an online class forum that kids use to ask questions and send messages to each other.
- Open Sesame parking Lots. Most of the municipal parking lots are equipped with smart technology. Cameras located somewhere near the entrance picture and character-recognize your license plate. When you press the button for an entrance parking slip, it comes printed with your car's license. When you return to pay it automatically recognizes whether you are Tel Aviv resident and eligible for a 75% parking discount. You pay, you enter your car and you notice something strange: garage gate opens before your car as soon as you approach the exit. You don't even need to insert your paid parking slip. Another camera automatically recognizes your license plate and communicated with the central system that knows you just paid.
- This is low tech but simple and useful: convenient parking for cars with strollers. Remember the blue parking spots for disabled just next to the entrance to any facility? As we all know unloading and navigating a stroller with a baby or two (or three) in the parking lot may be as complex and dangerous as managing with a wheelchair. In the Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Mall I noticed some convenient pink parking spots for cars with babies.
For us, newcomers, it is easy to spot such novel and cool things, things that are done differently and better than in the US. But of course there are other technology areas where Israel is lagging behind. I recently called Tel Aviv police and had to wait 3 minutes till a dispatcher answered. There was no answering signal, just the monotone rings and I was doubting that I dialed correctly. Just when I was about to hang up a woman answered and started slowly asking who am I and where I live. Only 5 minutes after I dialed we finally got to the reason of my call. Likely it wasn't an emergency. Boston's police answers immediately, automatically recognizes who you are and where are you calling from, by the number. They will even come in 5 min if you call and hang up. They will come if you hear noises in your yard or to replace the batteries in your smoke detector in the middle of the night. They will also come to direct traffic and insure student safety at school. Hopefully, soon in Israel.
