The Best IoT Sensor Companies On the Market Right Now

Did you know that as of July 2017, there are nearly 3,000 IoT solution providers in North America alone? If you’ve decided it’s time to implement sensors in the workplace, you certainly have a lot of choices.

That’s why we want to make it easier for you. The iOFFICE team is constantly evaluating new Internet of Things sensor technologies in our own workplace so we can make the best recommendations for our clients. While the right provider for you will depend on your company’s goals, here are six we would recommend to anyone.

The Best IoT Sensor Companies

Abintra

When you want to collect more detailed workplace data—like how many employees are using soft seats and whether they’re using adjustable-height desks properly—Abintra’s occupancy sensors are incredibly useful. 

They have a variety of sensors designed to cover 95 percent of your workplace, including passive infrared (PIR) sensors that detect body heat rather than just motion, individual occupancy sensors that detect vibration and even sensors that detect the height of sit/stand desks. Abintra’s sensors can even adjust desk height to an individual user’s preference. 

CoWorkr

CoWorkr’s WorkPoints sensors are low-maintenance and easy to install. They’re the smallest on the global market and last for years on a single coin cell battery. WorkPoints provide real-time, high-resolution occupancy data that is aggregated for comprehensive workplace analytics in powerful dashboards. All data collected by WorkPoints is easy to download.

The data is transferred to CoWorkr’s secure cloud environment over a private cellular network, and its servers are geolocated based on the user’s region. Because CoWorkr’s cloud is powered by Google Compute Engine, architecture can easily be scaled as your company grows.

CoWorkr also offers an API that can be integrated into room reservation software, chat features, facility management solutions and building information modeling platforms. CoWorkr’s REST API also enables users to view live floor plans and utilize intelligent workspace booking solutions.

Current by GE

Current by GE leverages LED lighting and connected sensors to help businesses increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Current offers both interior and exterior lighting solutions. Its Lumination™ LED Luminaires improve light quality and consistency in the workplace. And GE’s Evolve™ LED area lights promote a more safe and secure environment outside the office. They also enhance the aesthetics of your building’s exterior.

Due to lighting’s wall-to-wall placement throughout the workplace, the installation of Current’s lighting solutions is a perfect opportunity for companies to establish a wireless, sensor-enabled network. Companies can take advantage of this network and utilize the additional types of sensors Current offers. This includes occupancy, plug load and temperature sensors, all of which provide valuable insights into the work environment.

Current also offers an energy management system for businesses with multiple locations. It integrates hardware, software and service components into a single platform. Users can view data about the organization as a whole or drill down to an individual workspace.

iaconnects

Building control systems help owners achieve energy efficiency while keeping costs in check. iaconnects specializes in building control systems, emergency lighting for security and energy management dashboards. The UK-based sensor company has developed an interface that allows connectivity and control of wired and wireless devices to be provisioned through mobile 3G or 4G networks. It also provides intelligent controllers that power intelligent lighting, heating, ventilation and other building systems through a central server with a database. This gives building owners an easier way to manage their whole building portfolio and identify issues quickly, such as a light that’s out or an HVAC system that isn’t working properly. 

Relogix

Relogix offers sensor-as-a-service technology with its Occupancy Nodes and sensor management platform. The Relogix Occupancy Nodes share and correlate information with each other to ensure the highest data accuracy. Users have access to workplace performance analytics dashboards and can also work with data scientists to build custom reports and set up an API integration.

Relogix users can install up to 200 small, peel-and-stick sensors in the workplace. The sensors are self-configuring to a private LTE gateway connected to the Relogix cloud. This means employees don’t need any IT experience to deploy them. The Relogix onboarding mobile app also makes sensor implementation and relocation easy.

VergeSense

VergeSense sensors are powered by artificial intelligence and use machine learning to constantly improve data capture. Each sensor can cover approximately 1,000 square feet of office space and can be used to measure space utilization, occupancy and workspace availability. This data is then transmitted via WiFi or cellular network.

The data from VergeSense sensors help companies identify opportunities for workplace improvements, such as allocating space, increasing efficiency and dispatching preventative maintenance. VergeSense sensors can also be used in emergency situations to determine the number of employees in the building and whether an employee is sitting, standing or has fallen down.

The sensors are 100 percent wireless and require no IT integration. However, VergeSense does offer the option to integrate the system with a company’s existing IT infrastructure if they prefer. Users can also connect the VergeSense technology to their current workplace management systems via an open API.

Making Sense of IoT Sensor Data 

When it comes to IoT sensor technology, the possibilities for data collection are almost as limitless as your imagination. However, the data is only useful to the extent that you can act on it. When sensor data is used along with other workplace technology, such as an integrated workplace management system, you can see how employees are interacting with your space in real time and use that information to make decisions about workplace design, technology and more.

You may notice certain spaces are chronically underutilized, for instance, so you can make the decision to move a fast-growing department into that space so they’ll have more room. (And with iOFFICE’s space and move management software, that’s as simple as dragging and dropping desks on your computer.)

Having the data you need to make smarter decisions and being able to act on them quickly is essential to maintaining an agile workplace. When you combine IoT sensors with our IWMS and iOFFICE Hummingbird, our employee experience app, you can even respond to individual requests in real time. You get what we like to call the “infinite loop of value.”

Whether your organization is just beginning to explore IoT sensor technology or you’ve been using it for awhile, we can help you make sense of the data and act on it.

Want to learn more about how to make sense of the sensor data your workplace is collecting? Download this eBook, How to Use IoT Sensors to Make Your Workplace Smarter.