Solving the Hardware And Software Jigsaw Puzzle in Intelligent Premises Management Systems

Intelligent Premises Management

Intelligent premises management solutions help organisations and businesses across sectors digitize their premises security and management using cloud and mobile technology. Manual intervention in most premises management activities is eliminated to a large extent, and in some cases it is near zero. Yet, building an intelligent premises takes a lot more than just intelligent apps – it is only the tip of the iceberg.   

Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more integrated in various sectors and are constantly evolving to further benefit businesses with expanded functionality. A crucial factor here is hardware integration. The same can be said of premises management.

Hardware Integration in Premises Management

Very often, mobile apps for intelligent premises in factories, business parks, manufacturing, hospitality, and other industries, need to be integrated with some form of hardware, mainly security hardware, in order to function in a way that improves businesses and is useful to the organisation. E.g., doors that open through RFID-enabled passes, boom barriers controlled by a mobile app.

A complete intelligent premises solution is one that is a hardware-integrated solution. It simply means a mobile system that is combined with outlying hardware. Both are connected though a technology system, mostly an app.

Mobile devices replacing the traditional forms of controlling hardware through the process of hardware integration offer the added benefits of capability, mobility, and lower costs. The user interface on the device is easier and simpler too.

Combining hardware and software developed quickly in the past one decade. Today, hardware and software integration has reached a significant level of popularity, with Internet of Things becoming the goal of many app and mobile developers. More and more entrepreneurs are looking to create the next big IoT device, with hardware manufacturing becoming easier and cheaper, and the number of devices that will need some kind of software integration is projected to explode.

The Software and Hardware Mismatch

A simple visitor management system (VMS) does not involve the use of complex hardware and therefore, the issue of integration does not arise.

However, when the requirements of organisations broaden in scope to include the safety and security of and the efficiency of managing complete premises, in other words when we’re talking about intelligent premises management solutions, the importance of hardware and its integration becomes paramount. Because now we are entering the territory of hardware for access control such as boom barriers, flap gates, turnstiles, etc. and face the question of how to integrate them to the premises management software for their efficiency of use and control.

This is where VersionX is making a tremendous business impact. It has successfully developed multiple automated hardware integrated systems that are helping organisations and businesses convert their manually managed premises into a fully-digitized intelligent premises with integrated solutions that not only improve efficiency but also lower overall overheads in the long run.

See EntryPoint.

Integration in Intelligent Premises Management

With mobile technology becoming more and more advanced, linking software to hardware is a necessity in most industries. Hardware integration is necessary to make life easier for the consumers by increasing productivity and reducing response time as mobile apps ease the use and control of hardware. Not to mention that it is also lowering operational overheads in the long run and creating a key competitive advantage for businesses, despite initial costs.

Increase Productivity

Efficiency and increased productivity is the number one reason why hardware integration is sought after. In the area of security and access management, it is in high demand with diverse requirements in the area of premises management. For example, many companies want to restrict access to visitors as well as staff to certain parts of the premises such as a particular floor, department, or building – doors that open and close on reading RFID cards.  

VersionX provides not only premises management solutions but also hardware – access management systems – that it seamlessly integrates with mobile and cloud-based solutions.

Lower Overheads

In the long run, organisations benefit from the decreased overheads that hardware integration bring in the long run. As the management of premises get digitised, an integrated system eventually helps businesses cut down on labour cost.

Not to mention of – lowering time.      

Conclusion

Despite the urgent need in the industry, hardware and software for intelligent premises management exist separately and integration can be tricky. Hardware in general are very rigid and do not easily talk to other software. This is an area untouched by any of the software solution developers or the hardware systems providers. Hardly any organisation offers both –  combining mobile experience with hardware functionality.

It is becoming increasingly necessary for companies providing software to also take the plunge in the hardware business to build the best possible system. And VersionX is already at it.