Company is working with clients, such as Motorola, Ericsson and Cisco across the Middle East region

Johnson Controls has announced that the company is in talks with local organisations in the Middle East to help them improve their workplace utilisation and, thereby, reduce their total operational costs by approximately 20-30%. Johnson Controls is currently working with clients, such as Motorola, Ericsson and Cisco across the Middle East region.

Jason Goddard

“Property-related expenses are one of the highest on a company’s balance sheet, whether it is in the Middle East or across the globe. Given the current economic climate and the overall downturn, this is the best thing that we can do to our clients and that is reducing their costs significantly,” said Jason Goddard, Regional Executive & General Manager MENA, Johnson Controls Global Communications (JCGC) Global WorkPlace Solutions.

“As flexible and mobile working increasingly becomes the norm, understanding the level of capacity a business needs is more important,” Goddard said. “Working with its corporate clients, Johnson Controls recognised the demand for highly informative data on space utilisation, so that businesses could make intelligent property decisions.”

From this insight, Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions developed a technology that anonymously tracks people’s movements to produce detailed and highly accurate analysis of how the space is used. According to the company, the VISIBLE Living Lab is a forward thinking, web-based space management and real-time occupancy tool developed by the company. By using radio frequency technology and smart cards, the movement of hundreds of occupants is monitored and analysed, in real time, providing in-depth understanding of how users utilise their working environment – be it a meeting room or a desk.

“We are currently also speaking to developers in the UAE with regard to our technology for efficient utilisation of commercial space, resulting in faster and better occupancy levels,” Goddard said. “We urge them to involve us at the design stage of a property, so that we can add value right from the beginning. This technology allows businesses to get a clear understanding of how a workplace is really used day in and day out. This new intelligence enables increased staff productivity and reduces the cost of ownership – creating business advantage.”