Cognian Technologies has announced new partnerships and relationships with Microsoft, Barhead, Reekoh and Mirvac to deliver solutions enabling a safe return to work for Australians.
The ‘safe and healthy’ building will look starkly different in the post-COVID world. Managing virus transmission at work will be at the top of the agenda for most organisations as they seek new ways to improve tenant experience and maintain profits through optimised operations. In line with this, the burgeoning Smart Building Market is now projected to exceed $AU150 billion globally by 2026[1].
Cognian believes technology is the only answer to these imperatives. With its expanded remit of partners and collaborators, the provider of wireless smart building infrastructure will co-develop digital solutions for the property industry that build the framework for the ‘new normal’, and continue to empower building owners with its unified data connectivity platform, Syncromesh.
Commenting on Cognian’s approach to smart buildings, Rachel Bondi, Chief Partner Officer of Microsoft Australia said, “Microsoft Azure IoT, in conjunction with forward-thinking partners such as Cognian, will be a key component of enabling the end to end smart building solution for return to work in the age of COVID. In parallel, our partner ecosystem addresses challenges and creates opportunities around wellness, sustainability, operational efficiency and tenant experience.”
Mark Blum, CEO of Cognian echoed this sentiment, stating, “Collaborating with technologies such as Microsoft Azure IoT is a huge step in our mission to transform buildings into human-centred spaces which evolve as the needs of the people who inhabit them change.”
As organisations increase their focus on how the built environment can improve health and wellbeing, IOT data integration platform provider and new Cognian partner, Reekoh, is capable of technically extending Cognian’s Syncromesh beyond infrastructure into human-centric solutions. This is a major step towards realising Syncromesh Smart Canopy as a Service (SCaaS) by enabling cross-integration with legacy, major application and platform providers.
“Our partnership with Cognian is about taking the infrastructure data and reaching into organisations and the applications they use to operate, support and maintain their facilities and businesses to provide even greater value, insights and outcomes,” says Dale Rankine, CEO and Co-founder of Reekoh.
“Our platform’s Internet of Things (IoT) integration capability, delivered through agile and low-code tools, was a fantastic fit for what Cognian is doing in the market.”
The return to the office post-COVID will require new management tools and policies, so businesses can understand where their staff are currently working and have been working. As Cognian continues to develop its relationship with Microsoft, it is thrilled to partner with leading developer of business solutions, Barhead, which leverages Microsoft’s Digital Technology Stack. Barhead’s Workforce Management App, which has been built to address the return to the office and beyond, is now being updated to take advantage of Cognian’s Syncromesh capabilities.
Cognian has deployed an end-to-end solution into the Barhead/Reekoh head office in Sydney for the safety of staff and visitors, and as a ‘live lab’ for smart building beyond COVID-19. The deployment showcases the sophistication and extensibility of the solution, which focuses on building efficiency, tenant experience and new forms of value at its core.
“Work environments will only become more multi-dimensional and dynamic post-pandemic – business solutions must be adaptive, secure and scalable above anything else,” says Ken Struthers, CEO, Barhead.
“We know it’s a combination of people, technology and business drivers that underpin the most successful implementations. This is why the combination of our Workforce Management App and Cognian’s Syncromesh capabilities, bringing together best of breed teams and technologies, is so powerful in terms of helping owners, managers and occupants navigate and effectively operate the post-COVID workplace.”
A site at Australian Technology Park (ATP) has been selected by Mirvac to showcase and demonstrate the Syncromesh solution in an actual environment to customers, and accelerate its deployment within the Mirvac portfolio.
“Technologies that give tenants and owners easier ways to manage an ever-mounting range of pressures from cost-control to sustainability, and – now more than ever – hygiene, safety and wellness, are in high demand,” said Sean Sanson, General Manager, Mirvac Ventures.
“Often developers and customers need to see tech in action to understand its social and bottom-line impact, so we’re working closely with Cognian to showcase Syncromesh at one of Sydney’s most well-known sites.”
Continued Blum: “We’re thrilled to have expanded our partner ecosystem with such a prestigious group of companies, and look forward to collaborating on solutions including cleaner audits, social distancing compliance monitoring, contact tracing and environmental reporting – which are absolute must-haves as Australians return to the office post COVID.”
[1] Smart Building Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Component (Solution, Services), By Application (Residential, Commercial) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026
