KONE Revolutionises Elevator Maintenance with New Customisable Service Offering

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The launch of 24/7 Connected Services comes a year after KONE and IBM announced a multiyear agreement.

The launch of 24/7 Connected Services comes a year after KONE and IBM announced a multiyear agreement.

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has  launched a unique tailor-made approach for its maintenance services and new 24/7 Connected Services, which uses the IBM Watson IoT (Internet of Things) platform.

The company is bringing new levels of flexibility to elevator maintenance, with the introduction of a fully customisable portfolio of services and advanced tools, designed to meet the individual needs of different customers, such as building owners and facility managers. KONE’s customers will be able to request and customise services to match the specific requirements of their business, their tenants, or their building type, instead of pre-designed service packages.

“With new technologies and connectivity, we are able to even better meet our customers’ changing needs and expectations on speed, transparency and predictability. Our customised approach for maintenance services is designed together with customers, for our customers, to help them to better succeed in their business and add value in totally new ways,” says Henrik Ehrnrooth, President and CEO, KONE.

As part of KONE Care™, KONE has also launched 24/7 Connected Services, which uses the IBM Watson IoT platform and other advanced technologies to bring intelligent services to elevators and escalators. It means a completely new experience for KONE’s customers, with less equipment downtime, fewer faults and detailed information on maintenance work. For people using elevators and escalators, it means less waiting time and more personalised experiences. The system enables vast amounts of data from elevator sensors to be monitored, analyzed and displayed in real-time, improving equipment performance, reliability and safety.

Ehrnrooth continued, “This is just the beginning. With this platform we will be able to bring new services and innovations faster to the market for our customers and consumers. Not only are we able to customise services based on our customers’ individual needs – with better predictability, planning and peace of mind – but we will also bring artificial intelligence for our services, which will help predict and suggest resolutions to potential problems.”

“We are well on our way towards creating a truly intelligent elevator and escalator service platform, which will use Watson’s cognitive capabilities and take elevator and escalator services to a new level.”

The launch of 24/7 Connected Services comes a year after KONE and IBM announced a multiyear agreement in which IBM will provide cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and services to drive innovation in the elevator and escalator industry.

Both the new KONE service offering and 24/7 Connected Services have been piloted and introduced in selected markets and will be commercially available broadly during 2017, with roll-out continuing throughout 2018. KONE aims to connect over 1 million additional elevators and escalators to the cloud over the next few years.

To bring a human touch to the technology behind KONE’s 24/7 Connected Services, KONE and IBM have teamed up to demonstrate intelligent services. Discover how different elevators in different countries “talk” to the IBM Watson IoT Platform, live and in real-time HERE.

Philips Launches Health Continuum Space to Enable Future Healthcare Innovations

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The Space has the capability to contextualise multiple health-medical scenarios at the same time.

The Space has the capability to contextualise multiple health-medical scenarios at the same time.

Royal Philips has launched the Health Continuum Space, developed to facilitate collaboration with governments, healthcare professionals and related stakeholders to design and co-create future healthcare facilities and hospitals. The launch was graced by the Guest of Honour Mr. Chee Hong Tat, Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Health.

Fully-equipped and built with flexibility in mind, the 1,028 square-meter Health Continuum Space housed in the Philips APAC Center in Singapore has the capability to contextualise multiple health- medical scenarios at the same time – from a hospital all the way to a patient’s home. The space, which houses various Philips healthcare solutions and equipment, enables prototyping and co- creation of new solutions that help make a meaningful difference in the future of patient care and clinical workflows.

“Philips is uniquely positioned to operate at the intersection of people, technology and healthcare systems. This position, together with our deep clinical knowledge, inspired us to create this facility with our design experts, with the integration of healthcare systems in mind. This space brings to life how healthcare technology is leveraged to enable different parts of health ecosystems to work together to deliver innovative solutions, eventually addressing complex healthcare issues such as rising medical costs, and the increasing burden of chronic diseases caused by an ageing population.” said Diederik Zeven, General Manager, Health Systems, Philips ASEAN Pacific.

Using the iterative co-create approach fundamental to Philips design, the fully-configurable facility brings together different environments and medical scenarios to help various stakeholders visualise the entire health continuum – including a home setting, ambulance, emergency room, CT room, catheterisation laboratory, ICU and even a recovery room – illustrating a patient’s experience from living healthily at home, to being diagnosed and treated for an illness.

The innovation facility illustrates today’s and tomorrow’s real-life scenarios with an objective to redefine the way healthcare professionals work collaboratively, which will in turn enhance the quality and efficiency of clinical diagnosis. It also features a futuristic Reading Room – an aspirational facility equipped with the latest technological system and interface that consolidates patient data, allowing clinicians of various specialties to review patient cases on one single platform.

“Customisation and simulation of clinical spaces is important for us healthcare professionals. The Health Continuum Space helps us make informed decisions earlier, and fosters collaboration, integration of care and communication between partners from various specialties to find plausible solutions to enhance hospital workflow efficiencies and bring to life the future of healthcare systems we are aiming to establish to enable better patient and clinical outcomes,” said Dr. Nikolas Wanahita, Medical Director, Gramercy Heart and Vascular Centre, Mount Elisabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore.

“With a focus on the health continuum and the role homes have in supporting prevention and healthy living, the Health Continuum Space also highlights personal health innovations and scenarios that can foster and support patient needs pre- or post-hospitalisation.

“To address the healthcare needs of our region, collaborations and partnerships between healthcare professionals and corporate enterprises are imperative to delivering innovative solutions across a patient’s healthcare journey. The consumer and healthcare worlds are quickly coming together, and so are our solutions. Apart from envisioning and co-creating spaces within the hospital with our partners, the Health Continuum Space goes one step further to showcase the growing need to be more aware of the home environment, where individuals can take better control of their own health and prevent themselves from falling sick,” added Mr. Srikanth Nott, General Manager, Personal Health, Philips ASEAN Pacific.

Through the simulation and contextualisation of different environments, Philips is able to demonstrate and test workflows that can be used to build future healthcare models with partners. The Health Continuum Space aims to bring to life and visualise the entire continuum of care – a core focus for Philips as the gap between the consumer and healthcare world narrows.

JLL Introduces Virtual Reality Tool for Real Estate Design and Build

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The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site.

The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site.

Real estate consultant JLL has launched VR360 Services, a new technology application that allows clients to watch their real estate projects take shape from anywhere in the world.

The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site. By logging into an online application, clients can explore their building projects and look around in all directions, mimicking a real life site visit. Providing transparency from the start to finish of a project, VR360 Services enables clients to track the progress of their build closely, identify any problems, and highlight potential issues that may impact the future fit-out or design.

“VR360 Services lets our clients stay on top of their projects by bridging geographical barriers and bringing them closer to their sites. They can log in from a computer, tablet or mobile device and have a virtual walk through the spaces in their own time,” explains Martin Hinge, Managing Director, Project & Development Services, Asia Pacific, JLL.

“Another advantage that VR360 Services provides is the recording of wall, floor and ceiling construction, including electrical and mechanical plumbing systems. This will transform the way clients manage their facilities in future as they can better plan refurbishments and repairs like building in additional power points or repairing blocked pipes.”

One of the early adopters of the application, a multinational technology company with significant Asia Pacific presence, has successfully implemented VR360 Services in its latest construction projects in China and Singapore, allowing stakeholders to watch their sites at every stage of development from Malaysia, India, Singapore, Vietnam and the U.S. By creating an interactive environment where clients have first-hand insights, VR360 Services acts as a substitute for conventional site photo records.

“This exciting development demonstrates how we are making a difference to our clients’ experience. Besides offering them greater connectivity to their projects, VR360 Services also provides seamless communication so we can resolve on-site issues together,” says Ian Chadsey, Solutions Development Director, Asia Pacific, JLL. “New technology is having a profound impact on the real estate industry. VR360 Services is just one example of how, as a firm, we’re applying innovative thinking to help our clients maximise efficiency and improve processes.”

Click HERE to sign up for your free VR360 tour.

Crestron Expands Into India, North East Asia and China

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The RMZ Ecoworld office in Bangalore, India. Image courtesy of Crestron.

The RMZ Ecoworld office in Bangalore, India. Image courtesy of Crestron.

Crestron, a global leader in advanced control and automation systems, recently announced significant investment in Asia Pacific, including a new physical brand presence in India, North East Asia and China.

The official expansion into these markets allows the company to further enhance its service and support to customers in the region. The expanded presence and business strategy is being overseen by Stuart Craig, CEO, Asia Pacific, Crestron, who is based out of the Crestron APAC Head Office in Sydney, Australia.

Each of the three new facilities includes a fully functional Crestron Experience Centre (CEC), with state-of-the-art training facilities and various active workspaces. Guests can experience the latest Crestron solutions first-hand, which allows people to control entire environments with the push of a button, integrating systems such as A/V, lighting, shading, IT, security, unified communications, BMS, and HVAC to provide greater comfort, convenience, and security. These facilities allow the local Crestron team to provide hands-on, comprehensive training and education on the latest solution offerings to partners and customers.

The new, wholly owned Crestron subsidiary in India includes a headquarters at RMZ Ecoworld, Bangalore, and supporting regional offices. In Hong Kong, a new facility in Quarry Bay is supported by a dedicated presence in all key North East Asia markets including Korea, Macau and Taiwan. The Hong Kong headquarters will be expanded by mid year to offer a full Crestron Experience Centre, yet the facility is currently fully operational and the new training facility will open in early April.

Further, in exclusive partnership with Shanghai Golden Bridge, Crestron China brings a tailored local presence to the region, establishing facilities in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu, Hefei, Kunming and Guiyang. The Crestron China HQ with CEC is being built in Shanghai and is scheduled to be open in May.

The view from the NEA Hong Kong Head Office. Image courtesy of Crestron.

The view from the NEA Hong Kong Head Office. Image courtesy of Crestron.

Stuart Craig, CEO, Asia Pacific, Crestron, said: “Asia Pacific is an increasingly important market for Crestron and we are investing to support our customers, ensuring opportunities for all. Crestron is committed to providing our partners in the region with the highest level of customer experience and the tools and technologies to help our partners grow their business. Our goal is to provide the full range of our market leading technologies locally and to ensure our customer service leads the industry.”

“In all regions we are open for business today and over the coming weeks customers will see all of our facilities expand even further. As we approach the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe, which will see many new generation solutions released, our APAC customers can feel very assured and confident in the investments Crestron is making across the board,” said Craig.

The new direct footprint will allow Crestron to help grow the business of its local partners and resellers, allowing more clients in the Asia Pacific region to optimise their biggest investments spanning people, spaces and technology.

Rugged Fluke Laser Levels Deliver Simplicity and Accuracy to Perform Layout Tasks Fast

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Screen Shot 2016-12-11 at 9.11.31 pmFluke laser distance meters are fast and easy to use, improving accuracy and reducing measurement error. The simple one-button operation utilises advanced laser technology to instantly measure distance between two objects. As such, Fluke laser distance meters are well received in the market, attracting users from construction and electrical industries.

However, Fluke does not stop here. Fluke introduces Fluke® Laser Levels, a new range of professional-grade, precision tools that are designed to survive a one-metre drop and keep working. The Laser Levels feature a fast settling, self-levelling gimbal that quickly delivers accurate reference points, expediting electrical and HVAC layouts.

Fluke Laser Levels come in three-point laser levels for fast accurate layout of reference points, horizontal and vertical cross line laser level for rapid accurate levelling, and layout as well as laser line detectors with visual and audible indicators for ease of use in high ambient light settings.

The three-point laser levels are accurate to 6 mm at 30 metres (1/4 inch at 100 feet) and the line laser levels are accurate to 3 mm at 10 metres (1/8 inch at 30 feet). For long-range applications, green lasers, which provide up to three times brightness for improved visibility, are also available (Fluke-3PG and Fluke-180LG).

The Fluke Laser Levels are also built with a rugged case design to withstand rough handling on the job site. With such ruggedness and accuracy in Fluke Laser levels, long and tedious layouts will become a thing of the past. For more information, please click HERE.

New Technology Venture Launched to Facilitate Green Building Projects

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Arc allows any project to measure improvements and benchmark against itself and projects around it.

Arc allows any project to measure improvements and benchmark against itself and projects around it.

A new technology company, Arc Skoru Inc., was officially launched today by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). This new venture will be the official host for Arc, a state-of-the-art digital platform available at arcskoru.com.

Arc allows any project – whether a single building, a community or an entire city – to measure improvements and benchmark against itself and projects around it. Scot Horst, who has overseen and led the development of LEED since 2005, has been appointed as the CEO of Arc.

“GBCI developed Arc as a way to provide new and more transparent ways to share information,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “Scot Horst brings many years of leadership and expertise to Arc, and we celebrate him in his new role as the CEO. For the past 11 years, Scot has led the evolution of LEED through LEED 2009 and LEED v4. He was also the chief inventor of the LEED Dynamic Plaque, a system designed to tie ongoing building performance to initial certification.”

The goal of Arc is to support the missions of USGBC and GBCI. LEED-certified buildings can use Arc to improve and benchmark against other certified buildings around them. Existing buildings that have not certified can use Arc to make incremental sustainability improvements to eventually achieve LEED certification.

“Arc allows buildings, communities and cities to compare their performance against their peers and also connect to vetted green building strategies,” said Scot Horst, CEO, Arc. “Over the last two decades LEED certification has become a symbol of leadership, signifying that a project is saving energy, resources and water, and is healthier for occupants and the community. A LEED building has become the mark of a high quality building. Now through the Arc platform, all buildings can improve and work toward LEED certification.”

Today more than ever before, the green building movement relies on technology and data, and the future of green buildings is focused on performance. Arc represents a new era for green building; the platform takes LEED to the next level through the shared use of technology, feedback and recognition of excellence.

About the Arc platform:

  • Arc is a simple digital platform for all projects pursuing LEED certification and will eventually include other green building rating systems, standards protocols and guidelines.
  • Arc is inclusive of all projects, even those not pursuing certification, so that all buildings can measure performance and make incremental improvements.
  • Arc facilitates connections to people and projects globally. It encourages innovation, enabling informed decisions on building design, operations and maintenance.

Features of the current Arc platform include:

  • Existing buildings can use Arc to earn LEED Operations + Maintenance certification and precertification using the O+M performance path.
  • Projects that are currently pursuing and planning to register for the LEED for Existing Buildings standard path can also use Arc for performance data reporting.
  • Cities, communities and districts can use Arc to start tracking data and earn LEED pre-certification.
  • All registered and previously certified LEED projects have access to Arc to keep their LEED certification up to date. Project leads can also use Arc for performance data tracking and reporting as per the initial requirements in LEED for data sharing. Projects previously using the LEED Dynamic Plaque will be included in Arc.

The O+M performance path was approved by the LEED Steering Committee in January 2016 and the LEED for Cities Pilot was approved by the LEED steering committee in October 2016. LEED for Cities will be submitted for USGBC member approval following input from pilot users.

Over time, Arc will continue to add rating systems into the platform. The platform provides an entry point for all buildings with the goal of eventually certifying them to LEED or to other GBCI rating systems such as GRESB, WELL, PEER, SITES, Parksmart, etc. As GBCI adds new rating systems, the introduction of Arc makes the certification process as streamlined as possible for the end user. Projects pursuing certification under more than one rating system will realize efficiencies in places where the rating systems share the same or similar requirements.

Johnson Controls Releases Metasys® 8.0

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Metasys® 8.0 comes with additional IT features to increase productivity, reduce energy costs and enhance security.

Metasys® 8.0 comes with additional IT features to increase productivity, reduce energy costs and enhance security.

Johnson Controls recently introduced Metasys® 8.0 with new system configurations, programming capabilities, and additional Information Technology (IT) features to increase productivity, reduce energy costs and enhance security. This is one of the first building automation systems (BAS) in the industry to be optimised for any mobile device.

This latest advancement in BAS improves ease of use, speeds up troubleshooting, shortens time on task, reduces risk, and supports easier integrations. Metasys 8.0 key enhancements include:

  • Intuitive graphics optimised for multiple mobile devices
  • Alarm management enabling alarm prioritisation (the features roll up to the tasks)
  • Improved scheduling and customised trend viewing
  • New reporting features making it easier to access trends, alarms, audits and scheduling data
  • Space authorisation, which allows users to access the system and see only the data they need
  • Added IT security with secure password management and dormant user account reporting

“The improvements are the result of over 1,000 hours of observational research with building owners and operators. Facility operators can now identify and correct problems more quickly with this new intuitive interface, as information is displayed according to the way they work. Now, the potential problem areas view provides a single interactive report to see all alarms, system overrides and offlines as well as other critical equipment information in chronological order,” said Derrick Kho, director of product and channels for controls, Building Efficiency Asia, Johnson Controls.

Metasys 8.0 builds on Metasys’ ability to maximise building owners’ investments through flexibility and scalability. The system preserves and enhances previous investments in building infrastructure, and its technology and is scalable for facilities of any size and complexity. It enables integration to a wide variety of mechanical and electrical systems, and allows for a progressive replacement of existing field controllers that are becoming obsolete.

Click HERE to learn more or click HERE to take a tour of Metasys 8.0.

FINALCAD Secures $20 Million Series B

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The construction industry, currently a $9.5 trillion market expected to nearly double by 2030, is among the least digitised industries

The construction industry, currently a $9.5 trillion market expected to nearly double by 2030, is among the least digitised industries

FINALCAD, a global leader in mobile construction apps and predictive analytics for the field, today announced that it has raised $20 million in Series B round led by Serena Capital, Caphorn Invest and Aster Capital. Investment will fuel international business growth, expansion into new sectors and advanced research and development.

 

The construction industry, currently a $9.5 trillion market expected to nearly double by 2030*, is among the least digitised industries**. “In five years, FINALCAD has responded to tremendous demand for mobile apps for the field, in Europe, Asia and Americas.” said Jimmy Louchart, co-founder and CEO of FINALCAD. “With this new round of funding, FINALCAD is poised to scale for this growing demand happening within a growing global market.”

 

FINALCAD is planning to use the funding for international business development, as well as expanding new sectors such as civil infrastructures and energy.

 

New funding will also fuel research and development for furthering advanced fields: smart data analytics, artificial intelligence for objects recognition, augmented reality linked to BIM models, digitisation of lean construction processes, and open API interoperability.

 

Launched 5 years ago, FINALCAD has seen rapid growth*** globally with more than 10,000 projects delivered to date in 30 countries, totalling more than 20 million jobsite observations and nearly 10 million photos. FINALCAD is used by global contractors such as Bouygues, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Eiffage, Fujita Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, VINCI, infrastructure operators like RATP Group, as well as architects, and owners, such as Capitaland and Swire Properties. FINALCAD’s customers improve quality on their projects, save time and budget costs.

 

FINALCAD was built upon five founding pillars that are driving its design and worldwide, massive adoption:

 

  • #GLOBAL: available in 30 languages, FINALCAD is by far the mobile construction app that has the largest global footprint.
  • #MOBILE: FINALCAD is a mobile-first app developed natively on all major platforms (iOS, Android and Windows) for tablets and smartphones.
  • #BIM: FINALCAD is the only context-based mobile app enabling BIM on the field, integrated with BIM leading solution Autodesk Revit, and Open BIM standards.
  • #SMARTDATA: FINALCAD stands out with its data-driven features, from in-app suggestions of corrective actions to on-demand analytics reports.
  • #CONSTRUCTION: FINALCAD is designed by construction professionals for construction professionals. The team is composed of former site managers, engineers and architects that are dedicated to the digital transformation of the industry.

 

“Since our initial investment in FINALCAD, the company’s performance and ability to execute has exceeded our expectations” said Nicolas Louvet, Partner at Serena Capital. “Over the past two years, FINALCAD has delivered product innovation, field adoption, and significantly expanded the share of its international clients. This is why we decided to lead this second round of funding.”

 

“We reckon the construction industry is lagging behind in digitisation, with tremendous needs lying ahead. FINALCAD clearly embodies this huge opportunity. CapHorn Invest is committed to helping the company accelerate its growth taking advantage of the CapHorn Network of subscribers.” said Laurent Dumas-Crouzillac, Partner at Caphorn Invest.

 

“We were particularly impressed with the global mindset and international business development demonstrated by FINALCAD, especially in Europe and Asia. It will be a natural fit with the global coverage of Aster Capital’s team and investment portfolio,” said Jean-Marc Bally, Managing Partner at Aster Capital.

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*Global Construction 2030 Report, by Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics.

**McKinsey Global Institute Industry Digitization Index

***FINALCAD has been ranked in the top tier of Deloitte’s Fast 500 EMEA and Fast 50 France rankings with a cumulated growth of 827 percent over four years.

CDL’S Forest Woods Receives Strong Interest Ahead of Launch

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There were large crowds at the Forest Woods show flat preview that started on 24 September.

There were large crowds at the Forest Woods show flat preview that started on 24 September.

Forest Woods by City Developments Limited (CDL) and joint venture partners, Hong Leong Holdings Limited and TID Pte Ltd, has received keen interest since its show flat preview began on 24 September. There were strong enquiries for this highly anticipated new condominium in Serangoon Central which is expected to be launched next week.

Forest Woods comprises seven 12-storey blocks, most of which are within the one-kilometre radius of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) and Yangzheng Primary School, making it a major draw for families with children. Other schools in the vicinity include: Cedar Primary School, CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, Maris Stella High School, St. Gabriel’s Primary School, St. Gabriel’s Secondary School, Stamford American International School, Xinghua Primary School, Zhonghua Primary School and Zhonghua Secondary School.

The project offers one-bedroom with study to four-bedroom apartments, and single-storey five- bedroom penthouses. Unit sizes range from 506 square feet (sq ft) for a one-bedroom with study to 2,185 square feet for the largest penthouse unit. Apartments are attractively priced from S$688,000 for a one-bedroom with study unit, S$838,000 for a two-bedroom, S$1.1 million for a three-bedroom, and S$1.65 million for a four-bedroom.

Flexible Layout and Finishes for Different Lifestyles

An illustration of a 3-bedroom unit at Forest Woods.

An illustration of a 3-bedroom unit at Forest Woods.

Catering to varied lifestyle requirements, select units offer the option to customise rooms with flexible layout and configurations. For example, the Open Study concept is suitable for parents who wish to supervise their children from any part of the home. The Ensuite Study concept is ideal for working professionals who prefer to work in the comfort and privacy of his or her expanded bedroom. For fashionistas who need space for their trove of beloved items, they may opt for the Walk-in Wardrobe concept.

Home owners of all units are given a choice of either a warm or cool colour scheme for the finishes, accompanied with the finest in branded kitchen appliances from Bosch and bathroom fittings from Grohe.

Making Life Better With Smart Home Technology
Forest Woods leverages smart home technology to make life better in tangible yet subtle ways. All units will be equipped with:

  • Smart Home Center Lite to easily control smart devices and sensors installed
  • Smart Door Sensor to monitor the opening of doors for added security
  • Smart IP Camera to monitor what is happening at home when residents are away
  • Smart Lighting Control and Air Conditioner Control to automate lights and air-conditioning remotely.

When Forest Woods is completed, residents can also add on the Smart Digital Lock, Smart Wall Plug, Smart Smoke Sensor, Smart Multimedia, Smart Roller Blind, and Smart Motion Sensor, for an additional cost.

Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, CDL Group General Manager said, “For a few years, no project of this size was launched in the much sought-after Serangoon Central area. We have received strong interest for this highly-anticipated launch as Forest Woods comes across as a compelling purchase for new home buyers, upgraders and investors. It has an extremely prime location in a mature estate, very near the Serangoon MRT Interchange, bus interchange and Nex Shopping Mall, with easy access to amenities, expressways and many schools. Forest Woods also offers great value at attractive pricing, and several unique facilities. We expect a good take-up when sales commence.”

thyssenkrupp Unveils Latest Technology to Transform Global Elevator Service Industry

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MAX is already on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017.

MAX is already on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017.

thyssenkrupp recently announced its use of Microsoft HoloLens technology in its elevator service operations worldwide. The special mixed reality device is set to empower more than 24,000 of the company’s service technicians to do their jobs more safely and efficiently, and keep people and cities moving better than ever before. Currently, the global elevator service industry is valued at over $US 44 billion per year and more than 12 million elevators transport over 1 billion people each day.

Using HoloLens, service technicians will be able to visualize and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job, and have remote, hands-free access to technical and expert information when on site – all resulting in significant savings in time and stress. Initial field trials have already shown that a service maintenance intervention can be done up to four times faster than before by using the device.

Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator said: “With elevators transporting over one billion people each day, the service industry has a critical role to play in keeping cities moving. We remain focused on leading the transformation in this industry; introducing the latest technologies, processes and training to enable technicians to do a better job with less stress and more fun. Our goal is to dramatically increase efficiency, raise elevator uptimes and speed up service interventions to ensure mobility equipment is always running as it should, providing each passenger with the safest and most comfortable travel experience possible.”

Commenting on Microsoft Corp., he added, “This application of HoloLens in our service operations was made possible through our collaboration with Microsoft, and the close integration with their software experts has even allowed us to explore dedicated HoloLens apps to meet thyssenkrupp’s specific requirements.”

Sam George, Partner Director, Microsoft Azure IoT, added, “The successful launch of IoT- enabled MAX was the first step in thyssenkrupp’s journey to not only transform their business but also its 100-year-old industry. Predictive maintenance, powered by Microsoft Azure IoT, enabled thyssenkrupp to offer time savings to worldwide elevator passengers equivalent to 95 million hours of new availability per year of operation. Today, we are proud to have once again collaborated with thyssenkrupp to bring another game-changing solution to market together.”

Scott Erickson, General Manager for Microsoft HoloLens, commented: “As the first fully self- contained holographic computer running Windows 10, Microsoft HoloLens has been helping companies and industries innovate in entirely new ways. By utilising the out-of-the-box Skype experience without any additional development required, thyssenkrupp’s 24,000 service engineers can now do their jobs safer and more efficiently. Triaging service requests ahead of the visit and getting hands-free remote holographic guidance when on site has reduced the average length of thyssenkrupp’s service calls by up to 4 times.”

The launch of HoloLens and MAX is timely given that global revenues from elevator-related services are forecast to rise 4.9 percent per annum through 2019 to $US 56.3 billion.

In this regard, Andreas Schierenbeck noted: “Rapid urbanisation across the globe means that our cities are getting bigger and taller, making it essential to tap into the power of technology to reduce overcrowding and move people in the most efficient way possible. By harnessing the power of IoT with solutions like MAX and HoloLens, thyssenkrupp is able to step further into the digital era and transform the way the elevator industry offers maintenance services.”

Launched by thyssenkrupp in 2015 as the industry’s first predictive maintenance solution, MAX is already connected with thousands of units in the pilot countries of US, Germany and Spain, and is on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017. The successful implementation in the pilot countries has also set the stage for rollouts in additional countries by the end of 2016.

Iconic buildings whose elevators are already cloud-connected through MAX include the One World Trade Center. The building has elevators that travel faster than Usain Bolt, capable of moving from the ground floor to the 102nd floor in just 60 seconds, and regenerative drives that convert energy produced when elevators decelerate into electricity that can be used to significantly reduce the building’s energy consumption. Now equipped with MAX and HoloLens, the tower is setting new standards for sustainability and building efficiency.