Companies have traditionally been slow to respond to the advent of digital technologies such as intelligent robots, drones, sensor technology, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and 3D printing. With smarter solutions based on the Internet of Things, your business can acquire data from any source, from machine to enterprise-wide, based on big-data analytics for end-to-end visibility. Help your company move into the future through loT technology that makes all connected devices “intelligent” and significantly improves performance through predictive analytics.
Complex customer demands, e-commerce boom, customization, and more created the need for data that is fast & accurate paving the way for explosion of connected devices and platforms. Combined with then abundance of data and the rapidly changing technology landscape has made it imperative for businesses to swiftly adapt their products and services to move from physical world to a digital one.
Black Box's digital business strategy gives you the flexibility, bandwidth, and support your business needs to not only be prepared for today's IT, but also to remain secure and future-proof as loT continues to expand and networks become essential to your success.
Design, implement, and manage advanced IoT technologies to drive business efficiency. Reducing repetitive or time-consuming tasks increase inter/intra-office communication between locations, both local and global, resulting in better productivity.
From using IoT sensors to keep business equipment at peak efficiency via predictive analytics to streamlining common work processes and energy management, there are numerous ways to use IoT technology to favorably impact the bottom line of your business.
IoT sensors have made it possible to monitor the environment to determine the presence of pollutants in air and water, gain real-time insight into energy consumption as well as proposals for optimization, and promote better sustainability. IoT advancements are paramount in predicting, monitoring, and planning for environmental changes and enable cost and energy efficient methods to run industrial operations.
Black Box IoT solutions help companies in industries such as manufacturing, logistics, oil & gas, healthcare, commercial, and IT be more competitive, as well as build smarter infrastructure for a greener, sustainable economy. Our comprehensive portfolio includes solutions designed and developed at the Black Box R&D center in Mumbai (India), such as VISIBLE IoT Cloud, Magikk, AlertWare, AlertWerks, and Jido, complemented by IoT solutions from leading technology partners such as UnifyTwin, Avnet, Advantech, and more.
Covid-19 has catalyzed companies to make greater use of Industry 4.0 technologies, especially the Industrial Internet of Things, to maintain business continuity. The companies that implement IoT technologies earlier than their competitors and in their value chains are the ones that will win in the long run.
UnifyTwin is the first Industry 5.0 IIoT platform unifying human and machine intelligence to drive predictable outcomes eliminating digital blindspots. With AI-based apps such as asset life prediction, predictive modeling and vision analytics, UnifyTwin is able to capture untapped tribal knowledge from the shop floor and combine it with machine learning to provide accurate recommendations to frontline workers.
Green Lens or GLens is a comprehensive, real-time data acquisition, monitoring, and analytics platform for industrial emissions, effluent discharges, and ambient air monitoring.
VISIBLE IoT Cloud provides businesses with the infrastructure needed to connect their assets and gain insights from the data collected to improve decision making. The modular design of VISIBLE IoT Cloud helps the user focus on what's important.
Improve asset utilization, track moving assets in real-time, and reduce asset lifecycle costs with AlertWare. These remote monitoring devices use Bluetooth 5.2 Low-Energy (BLE) with Apple iBeacon technology for wireless networks. The collected information integrates into your IoT platforms and mobile apps.
Magikk is a sensor-enabled device the size of a matchbox that combines the power of satellite-based positioning and sensor-based data to track the location of workers. Widely used for "lone worker" scenarios, Magikk acts as a first responder system, where at the push of a button it sends all information in the form of voice or data, allowing the organization to act quickly and decisively.
Use real-time GPS location data to gain 24/7 access, visibility, and control over the status of long-distance shipments in transit and storage with Jido. Event-based alerts enable rapid response to tampering, system failures, unauthorized use, and other critical issues that can jeopardize valuable assets.
Learn MoreActively monitor a wide range of ambient conditions – such as temperature, humidity, power spikes, water leaks, and smoke - anywhere where you need to guard mission-critical IT equipment. AlertWerks ensures the wellbeing of environments, makes your building intelligent, and conserves energy.
Learn MoreWhere does your business stand? Is your business ready to generate value by leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies?
To facilitate your journey into the digital future, Black Box supports you with an Industry 4.0 Readiness Assessment. During this half-day workshop, we will work with you to assess your business, processes, and capabilities.
Gain insight from our experts into technologies and strategies for digital transformation.
We have all witnessed the increasing pace of technological evolution and the resulting opportunities that evolution creates. Finding ways to leverage those opportunities in the connected real estate market is what “smart” buildings are all about.
While the concept of a smart building – or an environment that dynamically responds and adjusts to the occupant’s needs – has existed for many years, the technology needed to make them practical arrived at a slower pace. That has changed drastically in recent years as new smart systems, applications and sensors have flooded the home improvement market. But what about the commercial space? How can we get the same level of performance from our office buildings that we get at home?
One key piece of technology that has allowed many new systems to become available for commercial environments is high power Power over Ethernet, or PoE. Originally developed to support IP phones and security cameras around 20 years ago, PoE launched providing 15 watts of power making it impractical as an everyday power solution. Over time we have seen PoE grow to support 30W, 60W, and now support for 90W is on the horizon. Today, PoE can power a host of building management applications from lighting, to HVAC, to digital displays and more making the smart building revolution a practical reality.
Smart Buildings Defined
So what exactly makes a building “smart”? From IoT enabled systems, sensors and analytics solutions, to dashboards offering greater control over key elements, the ability to enhance a building’s environment
is the defining characteristic of smart construction. Primary goals in smart construction can vary depending on focus, whether that be improving energy management, optimizing space and use, or even boosting mood and productivity for a building’s
occupants.
At its foundation, a smart environment is built on a converged infrastructure connecting data communications, security and IP systems. Traditionally, systems like Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone, computer networks, IP security, IP door access control and wireless access points (WAPs) all run over the data network and use PoE to power any number of end-point devices. What’s new recently is the ability to expand the network to include non-traditional PoE technologies like lighting systems, environmental monitoring, IP-enabled PoE heating, air conditioning (HVAC) and ventilation controls, to name a few. There is also now an opportunity to power automation and energy management tools that help optimize the performance of all these different systems.
The converged network provides a robust infrastructure enabling all of these technologies to work in concert, all the while keeping operational costs at a minimum.
Meeting the Need: How Smart Buildings Help Cut Costs
In today’s hypercompetitive real estate environment it’s all about doing more with less and eliminating waste. If you can build a commercial space that both meets those needs
and yields a positive work environment, you’ve got the perfect equation.
Implementing a building monitoring system that enables a positive impact in the above systems not only results in operational savings and increased productivity, but can transform a building into an in-demand property. Dynamic or automated controls of these areas can significantly reduce waste and lower costs — this applies to either new smart building projects, or retrofitting older buildings.
As one of the largest annual expenses for any building, energy costs continue to be top of mind for building managers, business owners and individuals in the real estate world alike. Some examples of how smart buildings can cut energy costs include:
Lighting
Replacing old, outdated high voltage legacy fluorescent fixtures with modern LED solutions can reduce an electric bill by 30 to 40%. Taking this one step further by replacing AC fixtures with digitally controlled PoE-based LEDs can
more than double energy savings, with some customer reporting up to 90% savings.
The human eye cannot tell the difference between fixtures with an output of 85% and fixtures with an output of 100%. While typical fluorescent fixtures can only function at 100%, smart LED fixtures can be set to 85%, instantly creating a 15% energy savings per month. Enhanced daylight harvesting algorithms can cut expenses even further while simultaneously improving the building’s overall lighting environment.
Environmental Monitoring
Some PoE LED fixtures have built-in occupancy sensors that integrate with a building’s HVAC system to enable dynamic environmental monitoring. If a conference room is unoccupied, or only partially occupied, lights
in the unused portion of the room can automatically switch off to conserve power. At the same time, the HVAC system can adjust to heat or cool the space based on need and occupancy verses time of year. Fine-tuning these two system controls can create
enormous savings year over year.
Data Communication and Physical Security Infrastructure
Within the last few years, building design has begun to utilize integrated data communication and physical security infrastructure. As buildings compete for occupancy, building-integrated,
IP-enabled data communications networks (structured cabling, copper, fiber, and associated connectivity solutions including wireless connectivity) have become standard. At the same time, building-integrated physical security (surveillance, access
control, carbon monoxide monitoring and fire alarm/suppression systems) have also become necessities. Utilizing an IP-enabled data communication network manages costs making it not only possible, but practical as well.
Making the "Smart" Decision
Although many of these technologies have existed for decades in some form or another – and maybe have all been integrated into the same building – they functioned as a collection of separate and distinct
systems, operating independently of each other. The growth of smart building technologies, like IP enabled data communication networks, allows everything to be connected and easily controlled. Combined with that is the substantial increase in PoE
wattage within the last five years, making it a suitable power delivery option for most building systems.
A secure converged building, with an integrated IP enabled data communications network allows real-time monitoring of light level, temperature, and occupancy. All equipment operates on one network, providing unmatched personal comfort to occupants who
can connect their devices to lighting or heating controls, among others. Placing all devices and equipment on a single infrastructure enhances business operations while reducing expenses to achieve a secure, scalable facility.
Choosing
to utilize these new, converged IP networks provides a flexible migration path for future growth and allows faster, easier customer response than ever before.
For more information on implementing a smart building, visit our website at blackbox.com/solutions/structured-cabling or contact us.
Panduit is a global manufacturer of physical infrastructure equipment that supports power, communications, computing, control and security systems.Black Box is a Panduit partner.Black Box has a dedicated IoT practice team, adept at building end-to-end IoT solutions for smart manufacturing applications. Our consulting services include a unique, proprietary Smart System Framework for Industry 4.0, allowing us to provide you with the right solution mix. In addition to our own IoT solutions covering Connected Assets, Connected Workforce, and Connected Logistics, developed by the Black Box R&D center in India, we also work very closely with highly experienced technology partners in manufacturing, including UnifyTwin, a proven Industry 4.0 solution in Gartner's Magic Quadrant.
Know More
Order by
Newest on top Oldest on top