Tag: App

KONE makes new location a laboratory for New Work

KONE, the Finnish specialist for building mobility, has inaugurated a new branch for around 70 employees in Sion, according to a media release. It was officially opened in the presence of the Finnish ambassador to Switzerland, Valtteri Hirvonen. KONE has been present in Western Switzerland since 2001 and employs 140 people there.

With the opening of its newest location, KONE is simultaneously introducing a new working model. Among other things, this includes a new computer-controlled allocation of workstations every day. Anyone who wants to fill a workstation submits a request via an app and is then assigned a place. This is done randomly and differently from the previous day.

The company hopes that this will lead to stronger communication between employees, which should promote cooperation and creativity. In addition, the office building in Sion is reportedly KONE’s first in the world to be fully designed in the new brand identity. A dynamic and flexible space has been created that can be changed according to needs. This concept was developed with a team of local employees in a participatory process, it said.

“We are proud to be able to introduce a form of collaboration at the Sion site that meets the requirements of digitalisation and globalisation and promotes inclusion and innovation in our Western Switzerland team,” Christian Wukovits, Managing Director KONE Switzerland and Austria, is quoted as saying in the statement, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the project group and everyone else who was involved in this process. They have done an excellent job that will be groundbreaking for our company”.

September 2023
One app brings all means of transport together

MixMyRide wants to promote alternatives to the privately used car and therefore networks all means of transport with a mobility app. Until now, trams, bicycles and carpooling had to be booked separately. With the help of data on public transport, dynamic data on carpooling and bikesharing, and intelligent algorithms, mobility demand and supply are now to be coordinated. The app was developed by a Switzerland-wide consortium consisting of institutes from the ZHAW School of Engineering and the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI). The WinLab of the city of Winterthur, the mobility service provider BePooler, the transport consultant Citec and the Lugano Living Lab were also involved in the development.

Combining modes of transport optimally
The mobility app primarily serves as a journey planning system based on artificial intelligence algorithms developed in-house. The app shows different means of transport for the desired trip by determining optimal combinations of route segments based on the available mobility services, which include walking and cycling routes – either by private bike or bikesharing – as well as e-scooters. In addition, once a ride has been found, MixMyRide also enables the booking and organisation of the ride by mediating between people looking for or offering a ride.

Testing effectiveness in real life
The app is available until February 2024 and covers the regions of Lugano, Geneva and Winterthur/Zurich. It is now being tested for a year. The ZHAW researchers have supported the development of the app in terms of design and functionality and are the local contact for the test phase in the Winterthur/Zurich region. They are also leading the evaluation, including conducting and analysing surveys. “The test phase enables us to evaluate the potential for behavioural change through MixMyRide and to estimate any effects on overall energy consumption and CO2 emissions,” explains Uros Tomic from the ZHAW Institute for Sustainable Development.

Testers wanted for MixMyRide
Anyone interested can download and test the MixMyRide app from the iOS App Store or the Android Play Store at any time. If volunteer app users also take part in the surveys and any group interviews, they will help to understand the impact of the app on mobility behaviour and may be entered into prize draws.

Further information: mixmyride.com/en

July 2023
New apps offer 3D views of Zurich

The city of Zurich is making a 3D city model accessible to the general public. According to a media release , two applications have been developed for this. According to the information provided, the Zurich virtual app allows freely selectable views of buildings, trees, forests and bridges. The Zurich 4D app focuses on structural development in space and time. Current building construction projects, design plans and completed architectural competitions should be visualized there. Both apps are freely available to the public, including schools, as open data.

According to the city, they are primarily aimed at planners and specialists from architecture and engineering. Functions such as measuring the height of buildings or casting shadows will be of professional interest to them. The documentation of real estate is also possible with it.

As the city of Zurich also reports, the underlying technologies are already being used within the administration for the visualization of noise simulations, in the context of architectural competitions and for the integral presentation of civil engineering and building construction projects.

As the city of Zurich also reports, the two apps were created as part of the city council’s strategy focus on the digital city. They are part of the so-called digital twin, the digital representation of the city of Zurich.

February 2022
Schindler optimizes transport times in buildings

Schindler has launched a new generation of building transit management called Schindler Port 4D. A smartphone app developed in-house is integrated into this latest version of its existing transit management solution.

According to a media release from the Ebikon company, Schindler Port 4D reduces the energy consumption of an elevator group by up to 40 percent. In addition, functions such as face recognition, robotics and digital entertainment can be integrated. For example, architects and planners can use hardware and software interfaces to regulate who has access to a building, when and where, or who is transported, and when digital entertainment is played.

“Buildings are built for people,” said Florian Troesch, who is responsible for transit management solutions. “With Schindler Port 4D, we are making buildings even more attractive, environmentally friendly and more easily accessible.”

December 2021
App facilitates energy planning for buildings

With Polysun, Vela Solaris AG from Winterthur has developed a solution that should facilitate the planning of energy systems for buildings and neighborhoods. It makes it possible to simulate energy systems in these environments. In this way, possible energy systems can be displayed for an initial examination and compared with one another.

Based on Polysun, Vela Solaris and the building technology association suissetec set up the building technology calculator web app. The association is now making the solution available to its members and customers, as stated in a message .

“With the building technology computer, we enable our customers to take the step towards the digital conception of energy systems”, Lars Kunath, responsible for digital solutions at suissetec, is quoted as saying. He also emphasizes the “reliability of the simulation results and the high level of professionalism of Vela Solaris as a development partner”.

“The cooperation with associations as well as manufacturers and dealers represents a real enrichment for Vela Solaris”, says Angela Krainer, Managing Director of Vela Solaris. “We always strive to make our solutions available to as large a user group as possible”.

October 2021
Industrial wasteland is becoming a place of work for companies

There used to be a cement factory and chemical works here. Today the 75,000 Reichhold area is a huge industrial wasteland. Now it is to become the Reichhold campus.
In 2012, Hiag bought the site, half of which is on the ground of the municipalities of Hausen and Lupfig. She has carried out the remediation of contaminated sites by 2020. According to the vision of the owner, traditional commercial operations such as a carpenter's workshop should find space here, as well as industrial companies with development and production departments or SMEs such as a catering company. The versatile space is to be adapted to the needs of the tenants.
The idea of sharing is very important on the Reichhold campus. Not only meeting rooms and co-working spaces, but also bicycles and motorized vehicles should be bookable by the hour via an app. In addition, the planned structures should encourage the individual companies to use infrastructures such as the reception, the canteen or exhibition rooms together. Restaurants, take-aways, shops with everyday goods, a day-care center and a fitness studio should also make the environment attractive for the employees of the local companies.
Sustainability plays an important role on the Reichhold campus. Innovative materials on and in the buildings, renewable energy and solar panels are part of the self-image of the campus. There are numerous meadows and green spaces around the building.
The building application for the first projects is to be submitted from 2022. If everything goes according to plan, the first properties will be ready for occupancy from summer 2023.

July 2021
City Pop: New app for microliving

City Pop combines the need for microliving apartments with social living. This is how City Pop differs significantly from other microliving providers. «Our app should meet the needs of our guests and meet the requirements for sustainable living. All services relevant to everyday life can be accessed centrally in one place and are easy to use. We also want to provide tenants with an uncomplicated platform on which they can network and exchange ideas. The aim is to create a real community that helps new tenants to integrate into the respective city, ”explains Manuel Sassella, CEO of City Pop.
Innovation and flexibility
The app is the heart of City Pop and the key to the City Pop apartments and the associated services. For example, the apartment can be viewed autonomously before booking. A time slot can be reserved via the app during which individual access to the apartment is possible. Booking and management of the rental agreement for the apartment, ancillary rooms and services are also carried out directly via the app. City Pop confirms the conclusion of the contract in just under 30 minutes and unlocks the virtual house key. «Last year we focused on creating a new and leaner user interface – using solid, secure and scalable technologies. A brand new, engaging and interactive experience that adapts to the needs of our guests, not the other way around. The focus is on innovation and maximum flexibility, ”says Alex Sassella, City Pop's Chief Technology Officer and responsible for the development of the app. The experiences and needs of the guests are continuously integrated into the further development of the entire City Pop concept via the app's feedback functions and thus also flow into the future design of the houses and apartments.
Community idea in the foreground
In addition to the additional services such as laundry and cleaning service, delivery service or car and bike sharing, the app also offers "house chat" – the opportunity to easily get in touch with neighbors, to meet up and exchange ideas. The “Around you” column shows what offers and activities are available in the area. City Pop's social living concept includes not only virtual, but also physical spaces that are intended to promote exchange, such as common rooms for events and coworking spaces.
City Pop is expanding nationally and internationally
City Pop is the first provider in Switzerland to have developed a holistic microliving concept in which living space, innovative technology and social community ideas go hand in hand. The implementation takes place at national and international level. In Switzerland, the Swiss company offers apartments in Zurich and Lugano. The occupancy rate in the apartments is over 98% on average. Further projects in Lausanne, Zurich, Geneva and Basel are under construction and will be ready for occupancy over the next two years. In addition, City Pop took over around 1,300 apartments in Switzerland and Europe last year, which are currently being converted in accordance with the City Pop concept. Including cities like Milan, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Dublin, Berlin, Frankfurt and Prague. City Pop aims to operate 15,000 apartments in 57 major European cities by 2025.
Further information on City Pop's innovative living concept is available at: www.citypop.com
Download the app from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store

June 2021
3 needs-based facility management solutions

Soobr on artificial intelligence. The existing performance and building data are read into the software, whereupon the tour planning takes care of the planning of the daily tours based on factors such as room distances, room priority, number and duration of cleaning. The occupancy of the individual rooms can also be integrated into the operational planning via room sensors, so that cleaning can be carried out specifically where it is really necessary. The cleaning staff performing the work are guided through the respective tours by means of an app on mobile devices, whereby you can feed the AI with feedback and documentation. Dynamic route planning increases efficiency, saves time and money in route planning and increases transparency for data evaluation.
Thingdust also relies on sensor-based data for its Smart Office product. With this simple plug & play solution, companies can measure the definitive utilization of their office space and analyze what will be a great need after returning from the home office. The anonymous data collected by sensors at the workplace is transmitted via an independent LoRa network and is displayed on the dashboard for analysis and statistics. At the same time, the flow of people is directed by means of a real-time display on a monitor placed at the entrance and the distribution of people in the building is optimized. In addition, reservations can be made quickly and easily using QR codes in order to increase the occupancy of meeting rooms, for example.
The Service on Demand devices, which facility management only call for use when required, also ensure that personnel are deployed as required. Planned tours to filled water dispensers and empty file containers, intact coffee machines or functioning printers are a thing of the past. The service-on-demand devices can be installed in any number of locations and devices in order to report faults, events or services quickly and easily. Instead of these points being constantly checked, the building users report that there is a need for a service at the push of a button.
You can find more about digital helpers in the real estate and construction industry at: https://proptechmarket.net/

February 2021
The city of Zug is becoming even more digital

The city of Zug has introduced a new app called eZug, according to a media release . This is a digital platform for residents. They can use this to identify themselves to city authorities, request and receive official documents and keep them safe or forward them. This is currently possible, for example, for certificates of ability to act, identity cards, certificates of repute, certificates of residence or extracts from debt enforcement. Over time, new services should be added continuously. For example, a parent portal is to be integrated into the app by summer. There parents and teachers of the city schools should be able to communicate with each other.

“The launch of eZug shows that we are speeding up the implementation of our smart city strategy. With eZug we are laying an important foundation stone for other planned e-government applications, ”said Mayor Karl Kobelt in the message.

The core of the app is the eID + technology developed by Procivis AG in Zurich and successfully used by the Canton of Schaffhausen since 2018. Residents who already use the existing ZUGLOGIN infrastructure can have the information they have entered there transferred to the new app.

January 2021
NeoVac uses the app from eCarUp for charging stations

NeoVac now uses the NeoVac my Charge app to bill the consumption-based costs for e-charging stations in apartment buildings and areas. According to a media release , the specialist for building and environmental technology based in Oberriet is reacting to the increasing demand for e-charging stations in buildings.

The app was developed by eCarUp AG from Zug. The young company offers a comprehensive software solution for setting up charging infrastructure. Its backend enables billing, monitoring, load management and maintenance of e-charging stations.

With its Switzerland-wide service network, NeoVac prepares the consumption-based energy and water bills for over 400,000 apartments every year. The Rheintaler company has set itself the goal of offering a solution for every billing-relevant measuring point in a building. "The number of new registrations of electric vehicles is increasing significantly and tenants are asking for more and more charging options," says Pascal Welti, Head of Energy Consulting at NeoVac. That's why his company has now launched an app for it.

It enables drivers of electric cars to activate charging stations and pay for the electricity they use. In addition, the charging data is transferred directly to the NeoVac myEnergy app. There, users receive an overview of their personal consumption and a directly accessible energy cost bill.

NeoVac also offers complete solutions for e-mobility infrastructure projects with a nationwide sales and service network. In addition, charging stations could "also be controlled depending on the PV system, battery storage or heat pump". This increases self-consumption and the profitability of photovoltaic systems.

January 2021