Mobile software application enables building occupants to tap into Internet of Things capabilities to address common building issues including temperature settings, access control
Building occupants long have grappled with who to call when their work area is too cold, or how to gain access to a facility when they forget their access card at home. Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced a new mobile software application for building occupants that addresses these common frustrations.
The Honeywell Vector Occupant Appcombines the convenience of today’s mobile devices with connected building features to give users more control over their comfort levels and ability to securely move about the work place. The new software is the latest example of Honeywell’s leadership in the Internet of Things around connected buildings.
The new app provides digital identification and integrates with core building functions, including access and comfort control, to enhance building occupants’ experience with the touch of a screen. The app’s access control capability eliminates the need for physical cards or fobs and gives users secure access via their smart phones. In addition, occupants can quickly and easily communicate temperature discomfort for real time adjustments instead of the more time-consuming process currently used of seeking out a facility manager or making a phone call to request temperature changes.
Facility managers, in turn, benefit from immediate insight into where and how comfortable occupants are, so they can make adjustments more quickly and easily. And, the app’s digital identification and access control capabilities make it easier to manage occupant credentials, eliminating the need for keeping track of and replacing misplaced access cards.
“Occupant engagement is an increasingly important aspect of intelligent building solutions,” said Casey Talon, principal research analyst, Navigant Research. “The smart phone app is an innovative new platform for gathering insight that can refine environmental conditions to optimize workspaces.”
Backed by a cloud-based architecture and enabled by HID Global’s Seos® credential technology, the Honeywell Vector Occupant App works independently of underlying building systems, enabling widespread use and adoption. Administrators within facilities deploying the app access a cloud portal to manage users and features such as corresponding user identification and credentials. Users who download the app must receive an invitation from the administrator in order to gain access to its features.
“Smart phones and apps continue to enhance our everyday lives, from allowing us to hail a cab to giving us direct insight into where we stand on a restaurant waiting list. We’re now applying these same concepts of insight and control to how one interacts with a building,” said Aseem Joshi, regional general manager, Honeywell Building Solutions, India. “Buildings are alive and teeming with opportunities for users to interact with them-if you can make the right connections. The Honeywell Vector Occupant App facilitates these interactions, so users can create their best experiences.”
The app currently features three layers, including:
- Digital Identification – Eliminates the need forplastic badges or temporary tags and solves the issue of outdated photo IDs by providing anup-to-date photograph.
- Convenient Access Control – Builds on the app’s digital identification feature, offering mobile-based access control that can easily be managed by a facility, and eliminating the need for tracking and replacing cards or fobs. Occupants, in turn, have one less item to carry, and can open doors from greater distances than traditional key cards and fobs.
- One-Click Hot/Cold Calls – Provides a quick and direct way for occupants to indicate when their work areas are too hot or too cold, and to receive confirmation that their issues are being addressed. Facility managers are alerted to occupants’ discomfort in real time, and can view call location, watch for patterns and quickly make adjustments to satisfy occupants.
The Honeywell Vector Occupant App is part of Honeywell’s approach to connected services, which leverages the connectivity of buildings to improve how they operate and the experiences they offer for those who visit and work within them. The app is also the latest addition to Honeywell’s mobile software strategy, a significant part of the company’s efforts to provide the latest technology innovations to help keep facilities safe, secure, comfortable, productive and energy efficient. Future enhancements and capabilities are planned for the app that will take advantage of building connectivity. The Honeywell Vector Occupant App currently works with Apple and Android products and is available on iTunes®and Google Play™.