Strand Technologies virtual engineer could solve your problems in minutes

Time, money and inconvenience – that’s the impact of your automatic doors breaking down. But imagine having an engineer on-site that could identify the problem and apply a fix in a matter of minutes. Strand Technologies‘ new virtual solution could prove just as effective with a remedy at the touch of a button.

Virtual Engineer (VE) is a software solution for the control and diagnostics of automatic doors, gates and barriers. It is an online gateway which can be used on-site or remotely to alert and identify a problem and allow the user to overcome common problems.

The dashboard, which has been devised specifically for the management of entrances, links to Strand Technologies’ iContact product range. Virtual Engineer offers two gateway user levels – one for non-technical staff who have immediate responsibility for looking after the site. The other is a more detailed interface for estates and facilities managers, providing greater technical detail and remote management capability.

This latter option includes a dynamic overview to enable remote control of a specific set of doors or a group of entrances which link into the system – be they on one site or across a wider geographical area.

Virtual Engineer also encompasses a unique ‘AssistME’ function. This is a press button facility which is located by the monitored asset and activated by the end user. Upon activation, an immediate alert is sent to the site manager and or the service provider. This is to advise that the door/gate or barrier is not functioning effectively and that it is preventing access or exit.

VE dashboard enables fast and simple troubleshooting for the entire service team with 24/7, 365-day instant remote diagnostics and control. It is accessible by any computer or mobile device and linked to specific emails to flag alerts.

Its benefits can provide:

 – accurate remote diagnostics, saving time and money for both customer and service provider 
 – reduced carbon footprint by eliminating unnecessary visits to site
 – increased ‘first-time fix’ percentage via accurate remote diagnostics
 – improved customer/service provider relationship
 – better efficiency – promoting excellent asset management 
 – increased contract renewal potential through responsive and immediate action

Simon Bowden, Sales and Business Development Director, says Virtual Engineer has been developed specifically for the doors and entrances market.

“iContact is a device that can be used to monitor and manage any electro-mechanical equipment linked to a user gateway. With our vast experience in the doors and entrances sector, we immediately recognised the time and cost-saving potential it could provide when applied to automatics,” he comments.

“This led us to develop a very specific user gateway for this purpose, which is how we arrived at Virtual Engineer. We have made this easy-to-use for people working on-site or remotely who oversee access with a more sophisticated interface for greater levels of control for buildings and facilities managers.”

iContact is a discreet device which is fitted to entrance and ‘talks’ to the Virtual Engineer system to identify problems.

‘Work flawlessly’

Simon adds: “We expect automatic doors to work flawlessly and the majority of those installed in the UK do. But commonly, user behaviour – including abuse and misuse along with environmental conditions such as rain, wind and even sunshine – can affect their performance.​

“In some situations, this can result in time-critical breakdowns which compromise safety, security and accessibility and can prevent the business operation from continuing – at great expense and inconvenience.”

For more information on Virtual Engineer or Strand Technologies other products, email [email protected] or visit https://www.strandtech.co.uk/

Visit Supplier's page