Current by GE wins with Vodafone
Current by GE and Vodafone have developed a digital productivity solution that was a winner at the EG Tech Awards for digital transformation of the real estate sector.
Current by GE is the building controls arm of the global electronics giant, which set up the division in 2015.
Speaking to MBS, Julian Chatwin, director of enterprise software for Current, says: “GE wanted to build on its expertise in the lighting sector. It was clear when speaking to corporate real estate managers about energy management that we had knowledge to share.”
The award-winning project centres on Vodafone’s London HQ, where it worked with Current to deploy a multi-sensor network. The network helps speed up common tasks such as finding empty meeting rooms, available break-out spaces and hot-desks. The network can aggregate data from environmental and occupancy sensors to improve the building’s energy efficiency while also boosting space utilisation and employee productivity. BuroHappold’s Smart Space team also worked on the project.
“Systems such as security and access can show that people are in a space, but it’s not integrated,” says Chatwin. “With our approach it’s possible to provide accurate data that allows corporate real estate managers to make business decisions.”
On receiving the award for this project, Vodafone’s group property strategy manager Richard Muraszko, said: “This award is recognition of the way Vodafone is building on its world-leading IoT position in new and exciting ways that has the potential to transform workplaces, ways of working, employee wellbeing and productivity.”
Chatwin says that Current by GE will develop its offering, focusing on the open platform model and harnessing wireless protocols such as Zigbee. “Digital productivity will be a game-changer as more companies look to create the office of the future,” he says.
Image: (L) Vodafone’s Richard Muraszko and (R) Julian Chatwin, Current by GE
