The installation of innovative digital safety features on BCS Group’s latest excavators will significantly reduce risk for personnel approaching plant on site. The construction and safety equipment specialist, which is part of the Barhale group of companies, has installed human form recognition cameras and a Digital Thumbs Up system on
Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched Connect Box, an open and easy-to-use IoT solution designed to manage small to medium-sized buildings. Connect Box is a user-friendly approach for monitoring building performance, with the potential to optimise energy efficiency by up to 30 percent and to substantially improve indoor air quality in
Bruce Kennedy, Architect Director at BDP, discusses the use of biophilic design for the Heriot Watt campus in Dubai. Every level of the campus benefits from a series of subtle features and carefully considered themes that provide relief from the extreme environment that can reach 50 degrees Celsius in summer.
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the global value of the cellular IoT market will reach $61 billion by 2026; rising from $31 billion in 2022. It identified the growth of 5G and cellular LPWA (Low-power Wide Area) technologies as key to this 95% increase over the
The Internet of Things (IoT) is being touted as a key contributing factor to the growth of the building industry, and global IoT in construction revenue is forecast to top out at $9.6 billion by 2025, up from $4.4bn in 2019, according to the report “Internet of Things (IoT) in
Mining is an industry that has been around for centuries. Since the beginning of mining, there have always been advancements in technology to help make the process more efficient and productive. The next frontier in mining may be underground mines where IoT from companies like Newtrax is transforming the industry.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer an abstract concept but is now an everyday’s reality. It is projected that there are going to be more than 10 billion actively connected IoT devices in 2021: from smart home appliances to manufacturing IoT machines to automated vehicles. With today’s IoT
J2 Innovations’ FIN Framework sits at the heart of many smart building, smart equipment and IoT projects which gives the management team a deep insight into industry trends. How we use and interact with buildings is changing. Now the rate of change has been dramatically accelerated by the experience of
As Abtec Building Technologies seeks to enhance its service offering to industrial and commercial customers, the award-winning smart buildings provider has announced the appointment of Kieron O’Toole as Head of Industrial IoT. In his new role, Kieron will lead the business unit responsible for the design, implementation and management of
In this technological era, everything seems to be easy. Most things can be done with just a single tap on your device. From setting the room temperature to opening the garage gate, you don’t need to stand up and do it by yourself. Imagine yourself coming home after a very
The installation of innovative digital safety features on BCS Group’s latest excavators will significantly reduce risk for personnel approaching plant on site. The construction and safety equipment specialist, which is part of the Barhale group of companies, has installed human form recognition cameras and a Digital Thumbs Up system on six new Kubota KX030s, ten Kubota KX060s and a further ten Kubota KX080s diggers. The digital technologies have been developed by artificial intelligence, autonomous, robotic and environmental solutions business Safety Shield Global. The human form recognition uses artificial intelligence to identify when a person has stepped into an unsafe area around a machine, providing an audible alert to the person in the zone and also to the driver. The system has the capacity to report incidents by type and frequency. The data can then be used to help improve safety behaviours on site. Digital Thumbs Up combines visual and audible signals to let machine drivers/operators advise other personnel wishing to approach their machines know when it is safe to do so. It follows the principles of the established Thumbs Up procedure used across construction but takes it to the next level through the use of unambiguous LED and sonic indicators. Utilising the new system, when a site user wants to approach a machine, they will give a thumbs-up to the operator. Once the operator has seen the thumbs-up signal, they will bring the machine to a controlled stop and will then press the in-cab ‘Thumbs Up’ button to isolate the machine’s controls – effectively disabling it. The digital shield will then display a thumbs-up to show it is safe to approach the machine along the recognised corridor in line with the Thumbs Up procedure. Steve Day, Head of Hire at BCS believes the human form recognition cameras and Digital Thumbs Up system will make an important contribution to site safety. “The Kubota mini-diggers are often employed on quite constrained sites where teams can be working in close proximity so we are always looking out for new measures that can enhance site safety,” he said. “We have been very impressed by both the human form recognition and Digital Thumbs Up systems. They are simple and straightforward and build on the established and familiar Thumbs Up procedure used by all our personnel already.” Dave Lally, Operations Director at Barhale said: “We believe this AI technology will benefit sites and personnel by ensuring the people/plant interface is managed in the safest possible way. “The system will also give us insight into people’s behaviours, opening the door for further improvements in site safety and process. Adopting this kit on both new and existing machinery puts BCS right at the forefront of plant safety and will give our clients the additional peace of mind of knowing we are taking wellbeing to the next level.” BCS Group worked with Leicester based, BTE Plant Sales to arrange the installation. BTE Area Sales Manager, Josh Elliot “It is an exciting time for BCS Group and we are proud to be able to work alongside them and supply the UK’s market-leading excavators. Kubota’s reliability and ease of use, coupled with a new safety system, the Digital Thumbs Up, demonstrates BCS Group’s willingness to put safety at the forefront of their projects, both for site operatives and machine operators. We want to thank BCS Group for their continued business and look forward to supporting them into the future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched Connect Box, an open and easy-to-use IoT solution designed to manage small to medium-sized buildings. Connect Box is a user-friendly approach for monitoring building performance, with the potential to optimise energy efficiency by up to 30 percent and to substantially improve indoor air quality in small to medium sized buildings such as schools, retail shops, apartments or small offices. Connect Box allows users to accomplish essential daily building management tasks from one place via a cloud-based interface with no additional gateway or software. Alarm notifications for potential issues as well as graphics that visualise historical trends provide meaningful insights into the building performance at any time, supporting the optimisation of building operations. Connect Box offers intuitive online access via desktop or smartphone. Installation is fast and easily accomplished via plug and play, so system integrators, technicians and facility managers do not need engineering skills to set up, configure and operate the system. The included library contains more than 500 ready-to-connect field devices and is constantly growing, from both Siemens and third parties. A smart converter supports 11 communication protocols, both standard and proprietary, wired or wireless, including LoRaWAN, BACnet, Modbus and KNX. As an example, the IAQ (indoor air quality) multi-sensor which Siemens has recently introduced, works as a plug and play solution with Connect Box to provide crucial data on room air quality. The multi-sensor measures air quality in real time, checking key metrics like temperature and humidity, CO₂ saturation, VOC and PM2.5 emissions, as well as light and noise level (dBA). Building operators benefit by getting full transparency on air quality in their building and can make sure that they provide a healthy environment for tenants, visitors or staff. Connect Box offers two licensing models. The Cloud license allows users to store their building data in the Connect Box online database, while the On-premise license enables users to easily integrate the data collected from wired and IoT devices into an existing automation system, building management system, or external cloud. Both variants are managed remotely and updated over the air. IoT paves the way to a healthy and zero-emission building stock Even for smaller and medium-sized buildings that have been run without building automation up to now, it is becoming increasingly important to operate in an energy-efficient and climate-neutral way. On the one hand, for intrinsic cost reasons, on the other hand, because more and more regulatory requirements have to be fulfilled which demand sustainable operations. In Europe, for example, the EPBD (Energy Performance for Buildings Directive) is supporting the EU’s goal to achieve climate-neutral building operations by 2050, forcing building owners and operators to take action. From a technical point of view, IoT-based building solutions not only provide what is needed to implement such requirements, they also pay off: Energy and emissions savings of up to 30 percent are possible thanks to Connect Box’s key building management features. For further information on Siemens Building Products www.siemens.co.uk/buildingtechnologies For further information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure, please seewww.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bruce Kennedy, Architect Director at BDP, discusses the use of biophilic design for the Heriot Watt campus in Dubai. Every level of the campus benefits from a series of subtle features and carefully considered themes that provide relief from the extreme environment that can reach 50 degrees Celsius in summer. Using biophilic design principles, BDP has managed to transform a seven-storey office block overlooking the Arabian Gulf into a unified vertical campus for a Scottish university. The nature around has informed the orientation of learning spaces; the choice of materials for walls, floors and furniture; the flow of air, and even hanging felt screens that absorb sound and provide privacy in open-plan staff areas. Biophilic design has been shown to enhance wellbeing. Although plants, as shown in Heriot Watt’s Dubai Campus where interior green walls run through all levels, can form an important part of the design, it is about more than that. It is also about textural elements, a rich variety of patterns, the choice of natural over synthetic materials and the inclusion of ‘biomimicry,’ which in this case includes carpets that recall stone, moss and grass. BDP’s inspiration for the design of the Dubai campus was the designed landscape of Heriot Watt’s Riccarton Estate. Its lush green parkland has an exceptional tree collection and provided a compelling context for the application of biophilic principles; referencing Scottish standing stones and the pavements of Edinburgh in the slate-lined walls and monolithic reception desk that welcome visitors to Dubai. Biophilic design has succeeded in giving the Dubai campus a sense of identity, orientating staff who travel between the Gulf and Edinburgh, and offering its students a unique connection to the heritage of this ancient Scottish university. Arabic culture is referenced in elements that include an interpretation of traditional mashrabiya screens – a laser-cut, gold anodised aluminium veil encircling the welcome space. Its pattern is lifted from the Heriot Watt coat of arms and filters the sun, recalling the dappled light passing through Riccarton’s tree canopy – while the choice of wood for furniture provides another grounding element within the borrowed landscape. An important aspect of biophilic design is its ability to unite interior and exterior environments, and BDP has located social learning spaces where to provide views through palm trees toward the Gulf. To visitors, staff and students, not all of these features will be immediately evident, but they combine on a subliminal level to instill a sense of belonging. And the client, Heriot Watt University, was open to the philosophy. They understood that biophilic design would enrich the learning environment, infusing the Dubai campus with an identity that links it to its Edinburgh roots. In Dubai, this approach has provided a way of uniting nature, culture and heritage in a contemporary setting, creating a sense of belonging and making students and staff feel comfortable in their surroundings. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the global value of the cellular IoT market will reach $61 billion by 2026; rising from $31 billion in 2022. It identified the growth of 5G and cellular LPWA (Low-power Wide Area) technologies as key to this 95% increase over the next four years. The new study, Cellular IoT: Strategies, Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, predicted that, LPWA solutions, such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, will be the fastest-growing cellular IoT technologies over the next four years. It anticipated that the low cost of both connectivity and hardware will drive adoption for remote monitoring in key verticals, such as agriculture, smart cities and manufacturing. In turn, LPWA connections are expected to grow 1,200% over the next four years. For more insights, download our free whitepaper: Three Important Cellular IoT Strategies for 2022. 2G and 3G Network Shutdowns to Drive LPWA The report urged operators to migrate IoT connections on legacy networks to networks that support LPWA technologies. It anticipated that demand from enterprises for low-cost monitoring technologies, enabled by LPWA networks, will increase as these legacy networks are shut off over the next four years. Research co-author Charles Bowman commented: “Operators must educate users on the suitability of LPWA as a replacement technology for legacy networks. However, many IoT networks cannot solely rely on LPWA technologies. More comprehensive technologies, such as 5G, must underpin IoT network architectures and work in tandem with LPWA technologies to maximise the value of IoT services.” 5G to Generate $9 Billion for the IoT Market by 2026 Conversely, the report predicted that 5G IoT services will generate $9 billion of revenue by 2026; rising from $800 million in 2021. This represents a growth of 1,000% over the next five years as 5G coverage expands and operators benefit from the increased number of 5G IoT connections. To capitalise on this growth, it recommended operators offer value-added services, such as network slicing and edge computing, to IoT users to maximise the value of 5G adoption.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is being touted as a key contributing factor to the growth of the building industry, and global IoT in construction revenue is forecast to top out at $9.6 billion by 2025, up from $4.4bn in 2019, according to the report “Internet of Things (IoT) in Construction – Thematic Research” by ResearchAndMarkets. IoT hugely beneficial to construction industry Loosely defined, IoT refers to the use of connected sensors and actuators to control and monitor the built environment, the objects that function therein, and the people with which they co-function. IoT is tremendously advantageous to the construction industry as it allows various assets and people to be tracked and accounted for across such a traditionally fragmented industry, improving, for instance, the health and safety of construction workers—the most considerable organizational focus for construction industry executives right now. IoT technology is useful to monitor assets, and sensors are helpful in providing all construction project stakeholders a full picture of the project at any one time. Assets—including from sites in remote locations—can be monitored in real-time because of low latency connectivity and data displayed on dashboards and apps or integrated with building information modelling (BIM). Data and analysis from previous projects help digital marketing efforts with trusted partners such as https://www.12handz.com/ who can provide tools—designed especially for small businesses—to reach more potential customers on Google, social media, or via email. What’s more, data can also help design, plan, and model financing of the construction project value chain, and combined with artificial intelligence (AI), can assist in forecasting materials and worker needs in the procurement phase. The more data collected, analysed, and stored concerning assets, the better the benefit industry digitalization. Wearable tech destined to become entrenched in building industry China has so far registered the highest number of IoT construction patents—645 compared to the USA’s 567—while valuable opportunities for wearable technology in the construction industry are emerging. The wearable tech industry is expected to touch $156 billion in value by 2024, up from $52 billion in 2019. Smartwatches are the primary driver of this metric, with high consumer uptake and several start-ups operating in the space. Proxxi, for example, offers products protecting users from electrocution, while Plinx deploys proximity sensors encouraging social distancing. Wearable tech improves communication between field workers and office-bound colleagues and is destined to become deeply entrenched in the building industry in due course.
Mining is an industry that has been around for centuries. Since the beginning of mining, there have always been advancements in technology to help make the process more efficient and productive. The next frontier in mining may be underground mines where IoT from companies like Newtrax is transforming the industry. In this post, we will discuss how IoT is changing the way miners measure progress in their work and what they can do to stay ahead of the curve on this new wave of technological innovation. 1. Predictive Maintenance IoT has enabled mining companies to reduce the number of unplanned shutdowns and increase production. This is achieved through predictive maintenance, which uses IoT sensors that monitor equipment performance in real-time as well as provide situational awareness about a machine’s location and health. It also includes data analysis from these monitoring systems to better understand how machines are performing when analyzing historical trends for things such as temperature changes over time or vibrations. Predictive maintenance helps ensure reliability without interrupting production schedules with unscheduled downtime, saving money on labor costs and expensive repairs by identifying problems before they occur so that work can continue uninterrupted. 2. Use Of Cloud Services For Logistics Mining companies are increasingly using cloud services for logistics, transportation management, and fleet optimization. This allows mining companies to quickly analyze data from their field operations and make resource decisions based on real-time information about the state of equipment, materials, or personnel. 3. Inventory Management The mining industry has the need for constant innovation to keep up with evolving technologies. One of these areas in which IoT has really made an impact on this sector is inventory management. Digitizing each item and using barcodes or RFID tags can create a real-time picture of what’s been taken as well as where it came from at any given time – helping managers better plan their workday and more efficiently manage whatever they’re working on. 4. Real-Time Analytics And Data The IoT allows for real-time data and analytics. This is important because it can happen in a specific timeframe, rather than weeks or months later. There’s also more accuracy since the sensor devices are sending their readings directly to central monitoring systems that will take care of analyzing them remotely. 5. Time-Saving In the mining industry, time is money. IoT can be applied to help miners save a lot of their precious time and manpower by automating various processes that currently take too much effort for humans alone to do. One such process is drilling holes in specific rock formations under high-pressure water streams while simultaneously measuring flow rates using sensors installed inside drill pipes. This measurement would typically require someone constantly checking gauges on machinery which takes up valuable man-hours. But with an IoT system monitoring these factors automatically every few seconds, it becomes possible for the miner(s) to focus on other essential tasks where they are needed most. 6. Improves Safety One of the biggest benefits of IoT in underground mining is that it can make mines safer. For example, remote monitoring sensors at one mine reduced the number of incidents by 36%. This is a huge improvement since any incident might be lethal for miners. With this technology, there’s always someone watching out for them and they’re never without help if an accident does happen. 7. Improved Visibility And Traceability One of the big changes in underground mining is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for miners to know what they’re digging up. What’s more, when a breach occurs and workers are exposed to toxic chemicals or methane gas an evacuation often follows, making safety a big concern. With IoT data analytics, however, you can keep track of all excavation areas as well as any breaches within those areas at every moment, increasing traceability and visibility while improving safety on site. Wrapping Up IoT is transforming the mining industry in many ways. For example, it has enabled companies to develop smarter mines with real-time data about their operations and equipment status, while reducing operational costs for smaller projects via remote monitoring systems. IoT’s impact on this sector will likely continue to grow as more miners adopt the technology across a range of use cases.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer an abstract concept but is now an everyday’s reality. It is projected that there are going to be more than 10 billion actively connected IoT devices in 2021: from smart home appliances to manufacturing IoT machines to automated vehicles. With today’s IoT devices getting bigger than ever with many businesses looking to continuously scale their IoT deployments, many enterprises are now looking for ways to make global IoT connectivity a reality, in order to scale the IoT deployments into an international and even global scale. Here, we will discuss the state of global IoT connectivity in 202l, and how we can achieve global IoT connectivity by addressing its key challenges. Global IoT Connectivity at A Glance Global IoT connectivity is an idealized concept of a truly connected IoT network where all devices can stay connected even when they are separated by thousands of miles and/or are located in different countries. To achieve this truly global IoT connectivity, then we will need an ideal IoT connectivity solution that fulfills three key factors: Consume as little power as possible Has as high bandwidth capability as possible Has as long coverage range as possible At the moment, however, such ideal connectivity doesn’t yet exist. Cellular connectivity with IoT SIM cards is the closest technology allowing global connectivity compared to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other technologies: cellular IoT can cover a long coverage range and high bandwidth capacity. However, it does have its downside in consuming a lot of power, which can be an issue in IoT deployments where most devices are battery-powered and are deployed remotely. However, at the moment cellular IoT is the only connectivity option that is potentially capable of achieving global IoT connectivity due to how cellular coverage is available virtually everywhere in the world, although there are relatively few network providers that offer truly global coverage. There are, however, top network providers like Truphone that offer global mobile IoT connectivity solutions, where we can technically connect devices anywhere in the world while also providing an easy-to-use IoT management platform to remotely provision IoT devices that are separated internationally and even globally. Global IoT connectivity is the dream, and also the future of IoT connections due to a few key reasons: Global IoT connectivity means we are no longer confined to specific locations when we want to scale the IoT network, resulting in more freedom and versatility in choosing between different network solutions depending on geographical needs. Mobile IoT devices, including autonomous vehicles, are getting more popular in recent years, and will only grow to be even more popular in 2021 and onwards. The further these mobile IoT devices travel, the more needs for true global IoT connectivity will materialize. Global IoT connectivity would translate to system reliability: devices are no longer reliant on a single network and can stay connected no matter where they are deployed in the world. eSIM for Global IoT Connectivity As we have discussed, cellular IoT connectivity remains the most viable option in achieving global IoT connectivity, but besides the fact that it consumes a lot of power, there are also several challenges preventing a truly global IoT connectivity from traditional cellular networks: Global connectivity across multiple carrier networks, countries/regions, and operating systems must be maintained, and very few cellular IoT plans currently offer this A comprehensive device management system that allows remote provisioning for individual or bulk device, as well as OTA software updates, to patch security vulnerabilities Organizing the connected IoT devices into a functional structure Gathering and analyzing operational data from the connected IoT devices to generate actionable insights Scalability and flexibility in cost as the IoT network grow Automation for certain operations like the execution of specific rules, batch jobs, and automatic alerts Security implementations like end-to-end encryption, and so on These factors can be very difficult to fulfill in traditional cellular connectivity, and this is where the new eSIM technology comes in. The traditional, physical SIM card we often see in our smartphones and tablets has several limitations in relation to global IoT connectivity: one SIM card is typically paired to a single network provider. Thus, when an IoT device is moved to a different country, then we’ll need to replace the SIM card with a new one from the new network provider. This can be a major issue in IoT deployments where the devices are deployed in totally remote areas. The eSIM, or embedded SIM, attempts to answer this issue. eSIM is integrated/embedded into the device, and can connect to different network providers without needing to replace itself with a new SIM card. As a result, the eSIM offers more versatility in allowing global IoT connectivity, we don’t need to switch to different SIM cards anytime the device needs to change network providers and/or moved to different locations, which is extremely important especially for mobile IoT devices. eSIM also allows remote provisioning (introducing a brand new device to the network remotely), which is very important in a large-scale IoT deployment that can involve more than thousands of devices. These benefits solve some key challenges of the global IoT connectivity, allowing IoT devices to connect virtually instantly wherever these devices are deployed in different locations. Conclusion While a true global IoT connectivity hasn’t been realized at the moment, cellular IoT remains the most viable connectivity option in achieving this thanks to its huge coverage range that can span between different countries and high bandwidth capabilities. The relatively recent introduction of eSIM has also allowed more versatility in using cellular IoT connectivity to expand IoT deployments on a larger scale. It is expected that there will be over 25 billion connected devices all around the world by 2025, and thus we can expect the need for global IoT connectivity will only grow to be even more prominent in the near future.
J2 Innovations’ FIN Framework sits at the heart of many smart building, smart equipment and IoT projects which gives the management team a deep insight into industry trends. How we use and interact with buildings is changing. Now the rate of change has been dramatically accelerated by the experience of the COVID-19 virus and its repercussions, both good and bad. Industries across the board have been affected and have had to adapt how they operate. In building controls, the drive is towards remote work and management, digital processes, and increased automation. Remote work and management Many people are becoming familiar with working remotely and managers are realising that they need, or might want, to expand remote working to more people within their organisation. To keep up with the needs of occupants, building operators need the capability to manage buildings remotely at a macro level and through applications at a micro or personal level. This is true for large buildings but applicable to smaller buildings and portfolios. With technology like J2’s new FIN microBMS enabling plug ‘n’ play solutions for the small to mid-sized buildings market, it is becoming easier for multi-site organisations to efficiently manage buildings remotely. “The COVID crisis is accelerating building portfolio operators’ realisation that they need to be able to remotely manage their buildings more effectively, so the need for easier and more secure connectivity technologies will increase. The climate crisis is accelerating the transition to greener technologies, both in terms of renewable energy generation and a focus on reducing the carbon emissions from existing buildings by optimising the way they are controlled. In many buildings, the need to increase air change rates to reduce the risk of COVID transmission, has temporarily been prioritised over energy efficiency. But once the immediate crisis has passed, the HVAC industry will deepen its commitment to developing more advanced ways of maintaining good indoor air quality, while simultaneously minimising energy use. Air ionisation and mechanical heat recovery solutions are therefore likely to grow in popularity.” says Chris Irwin, VP of Sales EMEA, J2 Innovations An interesting aspect of working more remotely can be seen in the prefabricated buildings market. Because modular or prefab construction is more efficient and cost effective than building on-site, building off-site and delivering completed pieces of a building has become a growing trend in the construction industry. J2 Innovations is already seeing this trend extending to include controls, with more pre-installation during the off-site construction phase. Flexible spaces Building owners, particularly those operating in retail, will need to make their buildings more flexible and adaptable – victory and profits will go to the nimble. Despite the growing demand for on-line shopping, bricks and mortar spaces are still needed to service market needs that cannot be met on-line: cafés; gyms; hairdressers; entertainment and cultural venues; click and collect places, where customers can find services to rewrap returns, postal or delivery counters, instant clothing alterations, etc. These market demands cannot be delivered to your door and need safe and smart spaces. As retailers and hospitality companies adapt to these changes and consider omni-channel experiences, building owners need to rethink their offering. In-person shopping isn’t dead, it’s just different. “I expect an increase in demand for warehouses as many businesses will move from brick-and-mortar stores to the Internet where much of it will remain” says Michal Lom, Sales Manager Northern & CEE. “There is likely to be a shift from open plan to fewer offices with a higher quality of indoor environment as one of the lasting effects of coronavirus. This will result in the re-modelling of the interior and the overall upgrade of technology in the building”. There will be an increase in localized, shared workspaces as many people will work in home office mode, but not everyone has the conditions for it at home. Also, people are sociable creatures and need contact with others, which shared offices can offer them. Digital Processes If it can be and hasn’t already been transformed, 2021 will see ever more processes becoming digital: IoT, blockchain, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning are the future. We must consider what this means for our own businesses and how quickly we can adapt, adopt, and apply to keep ahead of the market and the competition. For building operations, space must adapt and so must the services a building provides for comfort, safety, health, and security. Automation play an increasingly important role; bringing in machine learning, data management and analytics, cloud, and edge computing, IoT and, probably we will find applications for blockchain and AI too. “I believe we will continue to see a concerted and continued push to integrate and leverage the vast amounts of valuable data derived from Operational Technologies (OT) (i.e. manufacturing floor, building systems) into the Information Technology (IT) side of the enterprise. Most mature IT infrastructures already possess and maintain existing computing resources (servers, storage, networking, security) either deployed on premise or in the cloud. This infrastructure supports traditional mission critical IT enterprise applications. Use of existing IT infrastructure assets and the associated enterprise applications layer (e.g. SAP ERP, IBM Maximo for asset management, analytics platforms) enables OT data to be more seamlessly consumed, resulting in streamlined business processes, reduced cost, increased productivity and optimization of existing and future enterprise assets.” – Steve Glymph, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, J2 Innovations Investment in Interoperability VP of Engineering, Hisham Ennarah sees a greater focus on solving interoperability issues between devices and protocols. This issue has, for many years now, been of growing significance for the industry, but in 2021 big investments and more progress can be expected to solve it. “There are a bunch of initiatives to resolve the inter-connectivity problems we have in the building automation industry. I see investment from multiple organizations in this area of inter-connectivity between different protocols and frameworks. A good example of that is The Web of Things (WoT), an exciting initiative which is an open source standard being pioneered by Siemens.”
As Abtec Building Technologies seeks to enhance its service offering to industrial and commercial customers, the award-winning smart buildings provider has announced the appointment of Kieron O’Toole as Head of Industrial IoT. In his new role, Kieron will lead the business unit responsible for the design, implementation and management of IoT and data infrastructure for Industrial and commercial customers – from edge to core to cloud. This will allow Abtec BT to deliver even greater expertise and value in smart buildings and the new wave of smart factories being implemented globally. The Industrial IoT service brings together Abtec’s range of digital services including IT/OT converged data networks; high availability data centres and WAN; cyber security; intelligent lighting, heating and access control; CCTV; presence tracking; and 24/7 infrastructure and energy management. These digital foundations reduce operational cost and risk for customers, but they also form the bedrock of wider Industry 4.0 programmes such as digital twins, supply chain integration, machine learning and AI optimisation, whilst enabling a world of new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors and applications to be deployed. Prior to joining Abtec at the beginning of October, Kieron has worked extensively across the industrial and enterprise ICT environments in systems engineering and businesses improvement roles for organisations such as Polestar Interactive and BT Global Services. He is also a member of Aston University’s Industrial Advisory Board and the Institute of Consulting. Of his appointment, Kieron comments: “It is an exciting time to be joining Abtec Building Technologies. Industrial IoT will play a transformative role in customer experience and production efficiency and will enable new ways of working across the entire supply chain. Using my knowledge and experience, I am looking forward to being part of Abtec leveraging its unique expertise, assets and service wrap in the industrial market to provide our customers a reliable data infrastructure partner.” Dave Watkins, Director of Abtec Building Technologies, commented: “We are delighted that Kieron has joined Abtec in this new role. He has a proven track record in delivering results, and his expertise will add value to our business as we grow our Industrial IoT service offering.” www.abtecbt.com
In this technological era, everything seems to be easy. Most things can be done with just a single tap on your device. From setting the room temperature to opening the garage gate, you don’t need to stand up and do it by yourself. Imagine yourself coming home after a very long and tiring day. That was winter and the cold wind is blowing angrily on your window. You quickly enter your house and only to find that the cold has penetrated the insides of your home. You immediately turn on the thermostat. But before it could manage to heat the whole place up, you are already shivering with cold. Grabbing your favorite blanket, you head to the couch and roll yourself into a ball. Well, that should not be happening by now with smart thermostats readily available in the market. With the smart thermostat, you can turn it on way before you even step on your porch. Once you arrive at your house, the room has been heated up and all. Smart thermostats also turn itself off automatically if it doesn’t detect any motion happening in the house. That comes handy when you forgot to turn it off. Instead of consuming a lot of energy, it helps lower down your energy bills. One of the best thermostats you can buy is Nest. You can easily connect it to the Wi-Fi network in your home plus you can control it using your smartphone by downloading the Nest app from the Google Play Store. There, you can see the room temperature as well as the temperature outside your house. You can also adjust the temperature according to your liking. Aside from Nest, there are still other thermostats that can fulfill your needs. If you want to know what are the best thermostats that are compatible with Google Home, you should check out the article The Best Google Home Compatible Thermostats for Smart Climate Control. You’ll be offered 7 thermostat options and helpful answers to the frequently asked questions. A Brief History on Smart Home Since day 1, people have been obsessed with creating machines that would lessen manual work. Before smart devices are a thing, electric-powered appliances have been helping humans in getting the work done fast and efficient. In the early 1900s, the first washing machine, vacuum cleaner, clothes dryer, dishwasher, water heater, sewing machine, and refrigerator were introduced. Those machines did reduce the workload, and their success became a stepping stone for more home automation projects. More than 70 years after, the first general-purpose home automation technology was born. The network was meant to control multiple tasks at once, which in turn, will consume less time and require lesser effort to manage. Although technological breakthrough seemed slow, its potential can’t be denied. True enough, we’re now living in a world where almost everything can be manipulated using smart devices. And it seems like we are not stopping, either. Creating Smart Homes From Scratch To have an automated home, it should be smart from the ground-up. Of course, that requires a great deal of planning and . . . money. However, for the homeowners of the future, it sure doesn’t matter as long as it will make their life much easier. It’s true that you can purchase individual smart devices to handle different tasks, but it’s a lot better if you integrate home automation while you are still building your home from scratch. In that way, you can manage them all using just one platform. Controlling different home features such as security, temperature, lights, and maintenance can be quite tiring and difficult. But, you have a choice to do it simultaneously if your house is smart enough from the beginning. Supposing that the world is heading is up for more advancements, we can rightfully believe that in the years to come, all homes will be controlled by smart machines. Why not start now? It is a good investment as it will increase the value of your home with a couple of thousand dollars. Wrapping Up Internet of things, or IoT, is gradually being seen as the new standard nowadays. As the world becomes more and more tech-oriented, no doubt, smart homes will be the home of the future. Home development will never be the same, but way better.
