E-COMMERCE in Shanghai last year reached 780 billion yuan (US$125.81 billion) last year, rising by 40 percent from the previous year, according to Liu Jian, vice director of the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization, who spoke at the NEC intelligence technology forum in the city.

The service industry for the first time represented 60 percent of GDP in Shanghai last year.

Jiu said Shanghai has 24 million residents, including 10 million migrants who are from other provinces. The large population brings challenges to city management and services.

"An intelligent city is a solution to offer more efficient communication, bring more logistics and business, and raise the efficiency of social management, public services and economic construction," he said.

NEC shared its experiences with using information technology to help manage older people's homes, forest fire alerts and emergency rescue.