How modern technologies can make our cities more comfortable to live in.
Excessive traffic, long road congestion, frequent accidents and criminal incidents, as well as environmental degradation are all too familiar to people living in large cities. The only effective way to address these issues is to use modern technology. One of the most notable examples in this area is the work of the Kazakhstani IT company group, Sergek.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Security and Big Data
For many, the Sergek system is primarily associated with recording traffic violations. However, its main function is to ensure public safety. Kazakhstani IT professionals have also developed other products.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Either way, all of the solutions created by these Kazakhstani developers serve three key areas in developing smart city technologies: security, transport and ecology, and the collection of data needed for further analysis and forecasting.
They began designing their own security system in the mid-2010s. The first “smart” system went live in Kazakhstan in 2017, in Astana. Remarkably, the company was already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their solutions at that time – one of the first on the market. AI’s effectiveness exceeded expectations. According to Äset Isekeshev, who was mayor of the capital back then, launching the system helped reduce crime by an average of 30% and traffic accidents by 18%.
Asset Akhmetov/@photo by Asset Idrisov
But Sergek did not limit itself solely to security from the start. By 2019–2020, the big data collected was used to calculate the load on transport infrastructure in Astana’s new residential areas.
“At that time, we estimated how many vehicles could pass along each road, the throughput of intersections like Turan Avenue and Syghanak Street, or Chingiz Aitmatov Street and Korgalzhyn Highway, and when traffic congestion would start. Even if construction was only half finished, our analysts predicted there would already be traffic jams in those areas” Asset Akhmetov
Asset Akhmetov/@photo by Asset Idrisov
To do this, specialists used analytical processing of the collected data and mathematical modeling of the city.
Development of Technological Solutions
During the COVID-19 pandemic, company specialists created a mobile application called Sergek Blockpost. Developed as part of the company’s social responsibility, the application was integrated with surveillance cameras and government databases, ensuring that checkpoints across Kazakhstan were able to admit only those people and vehicles permitted to travel, while detecting quarantine violators.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Subsequently, this experience proved useful in refining the Sergek Qorgau mobile application, designed for the quick response of police officers. With this tool, it is possible to identify violators, fake license plates, vehicles belonging to individuals who have lost their driver’s licenses, cars under search warrants, and potentially dangerous drivers.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
The app is installed on tablets used by patrol officers and is integrated with the Sergek hardware and software complexes on city roads. The solution is so flexible that it can be integrated with other systems and developments.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Recently, this mobile application attracted the attention of international research organizations and specialized publications. In a report by International Data Corporation (IDC), a global IT-technology analysis company, devoted to global trends in smart transport, Qorgau was highlighted as one of the leading examples of digital transformation in law enforcement and enhancing road safety.
Breathing Freely
Unfortunately, environmental conditions in large cities continue to deteriorate. Residents of Almaty jokingly lament that they can “see what they breathe.” In February 2025, according to data from the Swiss company IQAir, the city topped the list of megacities with the most polluted air.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, provided data indicating that 60% of pollution comes from vehicle emissions. According to him, in 2024, eco-checkpoints in Almaty found 31,682 vehicles that exceeded the permissible emission standards.
Kazakhstani developers are also concerned about environmental issues. This is not surprising, given that the company has offices in many cities across the country, including Almaty. For instance, Sergek’s engineers and developers have their own air quality sensors certified by the AQI standard recommended by the WHO. They can function autonomously or work with the already-installed Sergek hardware and software systems. By integrating with big data, these sensors significantly expand their capabilities.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
In addition, the eco-team is constantly testing new hypotheses and pilots that could help improve environmental conditions. Last year, for example, they launched a pilot project to install spectrometers in Almaty. These devices collected data on exhaust emissions from passing cars in real-time without stopping the traffic flow.
AI on Guard for Security
Sergek VMS, an intelligent video surveillance and analytics system for public safety, has long utilized artificial intelligence. With AI, everything that appears in the camera’s field of view is recognized, analyzed, and recorded in real-time. At the core of the system is a powerful neural network capable of recognizing objects, movements, and events. This is highly useful for searching for criminals or missing persons.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
“Our current legislation does not fully cover the use of people’s personal data in public spaces unless it involves criminals under investigation or wanted persons. However, we can apply search algorithms for any clothing items. For example, if your child goes missing wearing a red jacket, or an elderly person leaves home in a blue hat, these items of clothing become the search criteria, and the system instantly looks for all matches captured by the cameras” Asset Akhmetov
Expanding Horizons
Given the advanced nature of these technologies and their ease of use, the company continues to broaden its reach both in-country and internationally. Today, Sergek systems operate in most of Kazakhstan’s regional centers. The company has also made its way onto the international market. Since 2022, the Sergek public and road safety system has been running in the second-largest city of Uzbekistan.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
Starting in 2023, the company has piloted its products in Southeast Asian countries (the Philippines, Indonesia). Future plans include further expansion both in Kazakhstan and abroad.
@photo by Sergek Group press service
With the global trend of cities and populations growing, the demand for solutions to the accompanying problems is also on the rise.
