Dive Brief:
- Facilities managers who use Wattsense’s building connectivity solution now have access to Laiier’s Severn WLD water leak detection tool, which comes pre-decoded in the Wattsense equipment library.
- Severn WLD’s system sends data via a long-range, wide-area network, or LoRaWAN, protocol to transmit leak detection information. Wattsense specializes in managing and monitoring solutions for small- and medium-sized buildings and its digital connectivity platform already connects and communicates with more than 800 types of equipment, according to an April 29 news release.
- “This integration offers customers instant access to the data generated by [Laiier’s] early water leak detection solution, conveniently in the Wattsense platform, alongside other sensing technologies,” Laiier’s co-founder and CEO, Matt Johnson, told Facilities Dive.
Dive Insight:
As business leaders rank adapting to new technology as a top workplace challenge, integrating digital tools into pre-existing platforms can ease the burden, reducing barriers to technology adoption, such as necessary infrastructure, Johnson noted.
“Integrations can be technically complex, particularly when it involves multiple sensing technologies or devices. Being able to select solutions that already work with a platform like Wattsense or a [building management system] makes it significantly more convenient for facilities managers to purchase and implement new technologies quickly,” Johnson said.
Installing leak-detection products can be particularly challenging. Bryan Witkowski, head of product and strategy at MachineQ — another platform company that integrated Severn WLD — previously told Facilities Dive that some sensors can disrupt aesthetics, are vulnerable to customer tampering or are more prone to giving false positives.
Severn WLD uses a thin, flexible sensor embedded into adhesive tape that sticks to a variety of surfaces, such as pipes and the base of a cabinet, according to Laiier. It can be cut to size or extended, and installation is tool-free. Once up and running, the sensor can detect water leaks as small as two drops of water.
These capabilities and the system’s early water leak detection significantly reduce costs associated with property damage, downtime and repairs, according to Laiier.
While Wattsense is headquartered in France, Laiier’s products are already deployed in the U.S., with commercial insurance carriers, facilities managers and system integrators. And Laiier plans to continue integrating with even more platforms, according to Johnson.
“We recognize the enormous value that integration brings to our global customer base, and will continue to integrate with leading [building management system] providers in order to support market demand,” Johnson said.
