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
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Balfour Beatty agrees to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, investment and services group, has agreed to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million. Balfour Beatty executives believe the merger will be a major step forward in accomplishing a number of Balfour Beatty’s objectives, including establishing a global professional services business of scale, creating a leading position in U.S. civil infrastructure, particularly in the transportation sector, and enhancing its global reach.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction unemployment rises to 17.1% as another 64,000 construction workers are laid off in September
The national unemployment rate for the construction industry rose to 17.1 percent as another 64,000 construction workers lost their jobs in September, according to an analysis of new employment data released today. With 80 percent of layoffs occurring in nonresidential construction, Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said the decline in nonresidential construction has eclipsed housing’s problems.
| Aug 11, 2010
Billings at U.S. architecture firms exceeds $40 billion annually
In the three-year period leading up to the current recession, gross billings at U.S. architecture firms increased nearly $16 billion from 2005 and totaled $44.3 billion in 2008. This equates to 54 percent growth over the three-year period with annual growth of about 16 percent. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Business of Architecture: AIA Survey Report on Firm Characteristics.
| Aug 11, 2010
CHPS debuts high-performance building products database
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to product manufacturers to help customers identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where manufacturers can list products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality.
| Aug 11, 2010
ICC launches green construction code initiative for commercial buildings
The International Code Council has launched its International Green Construction Code (IGCC) initiative, which will aim to reduce energy usage and the carbon footprint of commercial buildings.Entitled “IGCC: Safe and Sustainable By the Book,” the initiative is committed to develop a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings. It will focus on building design and performance.
| Aug 11, 2010
Green Building Initiative launches two certification programs for green building professionals
The Green Building Initiative® (GBI), one of the nation’s leading green building organizations and exclusive provider of the Green Globes green building certification in the United States, today announced the availability of two new personnel certification programs for green building practitioners: Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Green Globes Assessor (GGA).
| Aug 11, 2010
Potomac Valley Brick launches brick design competition with $10,000 grand prize
Potomac Valley Brick presents Brick-stainable: Re-Thinking Brick a design competition seeking integrative solutions for a building using clay masonry units (brick) as a primary material.