New iPad app ready for prime time

Siemens Building Technologies Division announced today the launch of its Facility Prime native Apple iOS application for the APOGEE Building Automation System (BAS). Through customized screens, Facility Prime enables fast, convenient, mobile interaction with a multitude of facility conditions. 

Facility Prime goes beyond accessing data and provides two-way interaction between users and the building automation systems they manage. Siemens’ versatile application connects users to APOGEE BAS control and monitoring functions via wireless network connectivity. The application directly interacts with BACnet/IP and Siemens APOGEE P2 field panels. 

Users can develop their own customized interface graphics using Facility Prime Editor or, if desired, have their local Siemens representative create a dynamic interface to suit their facility management needs. After accessing the network, users can view environmental conditions via this custom-tailored interface. Users can also connect to their facility’s BAS via the enterprise’s virtual private network if available. After proper access credentials are authenticated, users can command points and equipment.  Commands made from Facility Prime are logged in the APOGEE Insight System Activity Log.

Facility Prime delivers a variety of convenient, but powerful facility systems management features to the dynamic iPad platform including: 

• The “Graphics” view, which allows Facility Prime users to monitor in real-time building environmental conditions and HVAC equipment;
• A “Report” function that captures current conditions and either saves the GUI image as a file or embeds it in an email;
• A patent-pending “Scan” function which opens a scanning feature employing Quick Response (QR) barcodes to trigger actions such as navigating to graphics;
• A “List” view providing a quick, non-graphical status check of important data points with Green / Red color bar status;
• A “Charts” function that provides key static or dynamic graphs for analysis of facility data, and
• A “Tools” view providing Editor function users the ability to browse and command selected facility data objects.

Facility Prime becomes available in February. BD+C