CommScope has announced a new LED lighting over network offering in a global launch yesterday, which it says will allow companies to gain greater insight into office space utilisation thanks to built-in sensor technology, writes Eliot Beer, Editorial Consultant, Lynchpin Media.
The new lighting systems will be attached to structured cabling instead of electrical systems, and will include sensors, said Jim Curran, VP for Enterprise at CommScope: “The sensors that sit in the fixtures pull an awful lot of meaningful data about the facility, about what people are in what location, about how you might utilise a floor of hotdesks, if meeting rooms are getting full utilisation. It’s a very natural overlay, when you have a ceiling open and you’re doing an installation of structured cabling.”
The system is based on Redwood’s technology, following CommScope’s acquisition of that firm three years ago. Curran gave the example of a meeting room which can be booked through a system like Outlook – but with no way to tell whether the booker actually used the room.
“So we can also help manage that system better by kicking a meeting room back into the queue of available space – or, even scoring people on how effective they are at utilising the space. This is an enormous cost in every market, and if companies can move their total meeting space down by 20-30% through tighter utilisation, this is an outstanding application – and one of the first we’ll offer as part of Redwood,” said Curran.
Outside of office spaces, he said aviation was one of CommScope’s main regional focuses: “Our biggest global project is the midfield terminal building for Abu Dhabi Airport Company – this is a project our enterprise and wireless businesses are fully involved in. We’re really thrilled to be part of this opportunity, and we have a longer-term vision to become an even stronger partner for ADAC, not only at Abu Dhabi Airport, but their other airport properties.”
