KONE 24/7 Connected Services is the most intelligent elevator and escalator services.

At KONE, sustainable urbanization and eco-efficiency are embedded in our strategy.

- Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE Elevator India

Innovation has been one of the most significant elements of KONE and there is always a lot of focus on research and development. KONE's 24/7 Connected Services that uses cloud technology in collaboration with the recognized leader in cognitive computing, IBM Watson, is the world's most intelligent elevator and escalator services that monitor round-the-clock. Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE Elevator India highlights the changing technological trends in the elevators and escalator segment. Excerpts from the interview…

Could you brief us on the transformative impact of IoT and AI, Big Data analytics on the elevator and escalator industry, globally and in India as well? 

Technology has indeed changed the way buildings are controlled today - they are a lot smarter and more efficient now. Rapid advances in the capabilities of sensors, connectivity, analytics and mobile technologies are redefining the industry. The Internet of Things (IoT) has certainly caught the attention of the technology and business community. The increasing amount of data collected by sensors embedded in elevators, buildings, cars and even appliances in our homes is expected to change the way we live in rapidly urbanizing cities. To make sense of this sea of data, KONE partnered with IBM and launched the KONE 24/7 Connected Services, the world's most intelligent elevator and escalator services that monitor round-the-clock. This breakthrough technology can better monitor, maintain and take action before breakage, thereby ensuring less equipment downtime and fewer faults. Using the latest technology, the elevators and escalators can now speak their minds and keep technicians one step ahead of what's happening. We believe that these safe, transparent and intelligent 24/7 IoT connected elevators and escalators are certainly leading the way in technology and innovation for us.

How the impact of technology has revolutionised the design aspects of the car?

KONE's Design Offering proves that elevator design can be much more than just a sum of its ingredients. Combining elements in the right way allows us to create memorable experiences that complement the architect's vision. The KONE signalization series represents solutions that combine the latest technology with clear features, resulting in sophisticated design and excellent user experience. And as new ecosystems emerge around smarter cities and smarter buildings there is a huge potential with the integration of building design with elevators, escalators, services and other utilities, in the most sustainable ways possible. KONE's Design Offering features a collection of car interiors and different materials and accessories that can be combined freely and used in all elevator products. With trendy colours, materials, finishing and unique patterns, the elevators can complement the building's architecture, providing enhanced functionality and accessibility at the same time.

The design of elevators and escalators has evolved over the years. Elevators can now be hoisted with carbon fibre ropes instead of conventional steel ropes, which are more eco-friendly and durable than its predecessors, and they can now travel at fast speeds while consuming up to 90% less electricity than the ones made nearly 30 years ago.

Is there a shift towards using carbon fibre ropes instead of conventional steel ropes?

KONE's UltraRope is a high-rise elevator technology that is set to break industry limits and enable future elevator travel heights of 1 kilometer - twice the distance currently feasible. The KONE UltraRope(TM) is a completely new hoisting technology that eliminates the disadvantages of conventional steel rope and opens up a world of possibilities in high-rise building design - an important consideration as urbanization brings increasing numbers of people to cities.  Comprised of a carbon fiber core and a unique high-friction coating, KONE UltraRope is extremely light, meaning elevator energy consumption in high-rise buildings can be cut significantly. The drop in rope weight means a dramatic reduction in elevator moving masses - the weight of everything that moves when an elevator travels up or down, including the hoisting ropes, compensating ropes, counterweight, elevator car, and passenger load. Due to the significant impact of ropes on the overall weight of elevator moving masses, the benefits of KONE UltraRope increase exponentially as travel distance grows.

How does an elevator / escalator qualify as smart or intelligent?

Today, technology advancements have changed elevators and escalators beyond their mechanical function of getting people to travel up high-rises with speed and comfort. Elevators have become smart and intelligent that can generate data, identify problems, and make decisions on maintenance issues and operational patterns in real-time based on IoT and artificial intelligence. They can now connect to the cloud where the data they collect is analysed and stored. KONE's 24/7 Connected Services leverages IoT-based monitoring technology to its elevators and escalators for preventive maintenance in real-time and integrate destination control systems to our elevators. Also, KONE 24/7 Connected Services can identify peak periods of elevator usage.

Where are technologies like IoT, AI being applied in elevator / escalator design and operation so as to ensure increased safety and security, improved energy efficiency?

In the age of smart buildings, elevators and escalators can talk by sending messages through their server. With our KONE 24/7 Connected Services, the system enabled vast amounts of data from elevator and escalator sensors to be monitored, analysed and displayed in real-time, improving equipment performance, reliability, and safety.

KONE also has introduced a range of Health and Well-being Solutions that will help recreate safer user journeys and healthy spaces in buildings. KONE Health and Well-Being solutions reduce the need to touch common surfaces like buttons in Elevators through Elevator Remote Call which allows users to call an elevator using social messaging channels like WhatsApp. To further reduce concerns over elevator use, KONE has introduced, in selected markets, the new KONE Elevator Air Purifier. It uses technology - including an advanced photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process developed by NASA for air control on spaceships - to improve air quality in the elevator car by removing most of the potential pollutants, like bacteria, viruses, dust, and odours, in the air. The KONE Handrail Sanitizer, an escalator handrail cleaning solution, uses a type of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to gradually disinfect escalator handrails. Continuous chemical-free cleaning happens inside the escalator so that the users aren't exposed to it. Exposure to ultra-violet radiation helps reduce and inhibit the reproduction of micro-organisms such as bacteria or viruses.

The solution will also ensure less crowding and create a healthier environment through physical distancing elevator floor stickers and elevator full load limit adjustment.

At KONE, sustainable urbanization and eco-efficiency are embedded in our strategy. We are the first elevator company to achieve the best A-class energy efficiency classification for elevator installations, according to the ISO 25745. We also introduced the first-ever gearless elevators that have been substantially saving energy. To enable a sustainable built environment, the new facility is designed as per the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) norms. The facility has been designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

What are the major hurdles as a solution provider you face from your clients, especially making them adapt latest technology systems?

Introducing technological change presents a different set of challenges than does the work of competent project administration. Frequently, however, our teams responsible for shepherding a technical innovation into routine use are much better equipped by education and experience to guide that innovation's development.

When businesses that have tended more toward routine than innovation start to shift towards a more digitally transformative approach, they often find they must fight hard to frame change in a positive light. But it doesn't have to be that way. By understanding the technology, thinking ahead, training and educating the benefits, measuring and optimising, we have been able to overcome such challenges and influenced many to embrace our innovations.

Brief us on the measures taken to support your customers during this crisis and what innovative, value-added products / service support solutions you have added / aim to add?

As mentioned above, safety being the top priority during the pandemic, KONE's technical knowhow and innovation came together to create KONE health and wellbeing solutions that can be used to encourage physical distancing while enabling a safe and convenient return to public settings. The solutions can be added to existing elevators and is especially well-suited to KONE elevators. The latter feature built-in connectivity and act as a platform that enables new services and solutions to be added flexibly as customer needs arise. And this is exactly what KONE has now done: developed and built on existing solutions to address arising customer pain points.

In the wake of the current pandemic, the 24/7 Connected Services were offered free for the first six months to our current customers who operate medical facilities. This initiative will benefit hospitals across the country, and ensure uninterrupted vertical movement of people. When the entire world is enduring the hardships  caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, KONE India is showing its true strength by being a reliable partner and supporting its customers and the wider community to help keep critical elevator sites like hospitals and high rise buildings are operational 24/7 in a time of crisis.

How do you foresee the future product / market / technology trends and could you brief us the road map?

Vertical transportation has been rising fast due to increasing urbanization, development of the real estate sector, and an increasing number of multi-story residential and commercial buildings across the country. In recent years, we have witnessed that smart technology has been transforming the vertical transportation industry by incorporating advanced technologies that offer facilities with increased security, improved energy efficiency, and effective crowd management. The properties of smart elevators such as low energy consumption and faster operations will have a positive impact on the growth of the market in the coming years.

As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times, touchless technology has been transforming the industry to make built environments healthier.

While looking at maintenance and service, the Internet of Things has helped in remote monitoring of elevators and escalators. Technologies such as connected technology work by alerting companies on faults when they appear or are about to develop, enabling lift operators to save money and time on repairs. Predictive maintenance allows elevator companies to effectively address and rectify any issue before the elevators break down, thereby reducing downtime. Furthermore, Intuitive elevator technologies allow smart grouping and destination-based models with modern aesthetics. Smart grouping technology organizes commuters by grouping them based on their floor/zone preferences, which results in faster and better-organised results.

Why should a customer opt for solutions from KONE Elevators?

At KONE Elevator India, we pride ourselves on our deep understanding of both equipment and customer needs. This ensures the equipment is kept running smoothly throughout its lifetime. When we design and conceptualize such elevators, we design them for the future. This is why the process always begins with research to understand customer and user needs over the lifespan of a building. Through design, we can offer solutions that can adjust to the possible changes, and this is a differentiator for us.

We have always believed in safety first. It is one of the highest priority areas that is embedded in our strategy. Taking a step further in safety, KONE Health and Well-being solutions were introduced which is vital for creating a safer environment for people and for adapting to a new way of life in the face of the current pandemic.

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