In an effort to transform its elevator and escalator operations and technology capabilities around the world, KONE will be using IBM’s technology and experience to harness the potential of digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT).

KONE will use IBM’s Watson IoT Cloud Platform to collect and store equipment data, build applications and develop new solutions. The platform will gather data from sensors and systems connected to elevators, escalators, doors and turnstiles in the elevator company’s maintenance base. With IBM’s advanced analytics engine, that information will be used to enable new services and new experiences for customers.

“Our agreement with IBM is exciting and it is an important stepping stone to deliver the best People Flow experience,” says Henrik Ehrnrooth, President & CEO of KONE. “We operate in a connected world and by working with IBM, new solutions like improved remote diagnostics and predictability means we will deliver better services for our customers and great experiences for the people who use our equipment.”

With the IoT platform, KONE ecosystem partners and third parties can create new services and integrate existing services via Application Programming Interfaces. These new services will range from solutions which improve People Flow in buildings and new smart building applications; to others that advance the speed, reliability and safety for elevator maintenance, remote monitoring and servicing.

Over the next few years, KONE will connect its global maintenance base of more than one million elevators, escalators and building doors to cloud-based services. By gathering the vast amounts of data from equipment operations and using sophisticated analysis and connectivity, downtime can be minimized and repairs carried out more quickly.

“Efficient, people-centric cities and buildings are better for business, societies and economies. Central to this is how people move around within them, and intelligent systems are poised to make their experience more convenient, intuitive and enjoyable,” said Harriet Green, General Manager, IBM Watson Internet of Things. “With IBM’s cognitive IoT technologies, KONE is embedding intelligence across its operations and driving a wave of innovation in smarter buildings.”

KONE will also work with IBM and its partners from various industries, through IBM’s global facilities, real estate and IoT developer ecosystems. This will bring global scope and scale to a development environment for new kinds of services for some of the world’s busiest cities and buildings. Examples include applications that provide information for people during busy times of the day, such as traffic reports and public transport schedules.