Connectivity Standards Alliance introduces access control interoperability initiative

Nearly 200 member companies have joined the Aliro initiative, which seeks to ease barriers to implementation and ensure convenient facility access across mobile devices and access controls.  

By Joe Burns • Nov. 9, 2023

Much of North America faces ‘elevated risk’ of blackouts in extreme winter conditions: NERC

Climate change, rising energy demand and natural gas dependence mean “a massive grid disruption is inevitable,” said Mark Spurr, legislative director at the International District Energy Association.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 9, 2023

Why it’s critical to make facilities employees feel valued and empowered at work

Recent disruptions are expanding the scope of safety and emphasizing a human-centered safety approach in facilities management.

Nov. 6, 2023

NFMT Remix focused on decarbonization, efficiency and innovation

Emergency preparedness, technology adoption and benchmarking are other key focus areas for facilities managers, according to speakers at the conference.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 31, 2023

Honeywell Building Technologies continues to grow order volume, expand margins

CFO Greg Lewis said that HBT remains “a bright spot for the business,” with orders growing 20% year over year, despite soft demand for security products and a challenging operating environment.

By Joe Burns • Oct. 27, 2023

Billions in deferred maintenance projects coming to US facilities

A nationwide push to address delayed upkeep on public buildings and infrastructure will create myriad opportunities for contractors, according to a consultant.

By Mary Scott Nabers • Oct. 26, 2023

How an Illinois district prepares for school safety crisis response

Schools need community partners and plans for clear communications when emergencies occur, officials from West Aurora School District 129 advise.

By Kara Arundel • Oct. 23, 2023

The road ahead for healthcare facilities managers

As patients demand modern amenities and efficient wayfinding in healthcare units, facilities managers struggle to maintain aging infrastructure while managing supply chain hurdles and decarbonization challenges.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 17, 2023

JLL’s division president discusses top healthcare facility concerns

Facility managers deserve a place at the table in the earlier stages of planning renovations, construction, design, sustainability initiatives and more, says Alison Flynn Gaffney.

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 25, 2023

EnVerid’s compact ventilation module aims to cut up to 40% of HVAC energy use

The HLR 100C maintains indoor air quality, saves energy and reduces the impact of outdoor pollutants, the company says, adding that designs for Daikin and Trane packaged rooftop units are available, with more to come.

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 25, 2023

Indoor air quality top of mind for operators, tenants

Recent CDC and ASHRAE ventilation guidance updates, alongside COVID-related public health concerns, have led to a greater focus on building air quality.   

By Joe Burns • Sept. 21, 2023

Johnson Controls adds security device monitoring and management to OpenBlue

The new security service connects devices to a centralized monitoring system and can notify facilities operators about device faults and performance degradation, the company says. 

By Joe Burns • Sept. 14, 2023

A majority of workers voice concern about indoor air quality in 2023 survey

About one in three respondents said they would consider leaving their job due to poor indoor air quality, the Fellowes survey finds. 

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 14, 2023

Sensirion, Terabee partner on indoor air quality monitoring

Terabee’s Air Quality SB5 sensor draws on Sensirion’s environmental sensors for more precise carbon dioxide measurements to help facilities managers program ventilation systems more efficiently, the companies say. 

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 12, 2023

SecurityOS from iLobby connects access control, visitor management

The software automates identity lifecycle management and permission provisioning for facility visitors, the company says.

By Joe Burns • Updated March 27, 2024

Emergency24 partnership will improve emergency response, RapidSOS official says

The RapidSOS and Emergency24 collaboration aims to speed up the delivery of precise data during fires, with the potential to cut incident response time from two and a half minutes to 13 seconds, the companies say.

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 7, 2023

CDC, ASHRAE discuss airborne infection risk guidance updates

Experts from both organizations outlined methods to meet minimum ventilation requirements and maintain clean air in schools during a recent EPA webinar.

By Joe Burns • Sept. 5, 2023

Value of indoor air quality improvements can help offset upgrade costs, keep buildings efficient

As school starts and return-to-office mandates bring people indoors, lingering COVID-19 concerns and new ventilation requirements raise indoor air quality questions.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 31, 2023

Temporary Wall Systems adds two New Jersey locations

The franchise service firm says its reusable walls provide facilities managers and contractors with a sustainable solution to partition areas during renovations and construction.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 29, 2023

Technology, sustainability and benchmarking are key to optimizing healthcare facility performance

Focusing on efforts in those three areas can help managers meet demands for greater operational and cost efficiencies, healthcare facilities experts say. 

By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 28, 2023

Colorado mandates new building energy performance standards despite criticism

The ruling unfairly burdens existing buildings, operators and owners say. The state Air Quality Commission touts the rules’ flexibility.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 22, 2023

Healthcare facility managers walk a tightrope of tech, space and labor challenges

“You can’t have an HVAC unit not function for a day. You can’t have the lights in a surgery room go out,” one industry exec says. “We have people’s lives at stake.”

By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 21, 2023

Modine targets Midwest school facilities managers with TMS Johnson deal

The HVAC manufacturers’ partnership is expected to strengthen Modine’s Airedale indoor air quality solutions for K-12 schools amid code updates and federal funding programs. 

By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 18, 2023

License plate recognition with cloud video surveillance mainly used for parking, Eagle Eye survey finds

Operations and security were much less common uses for the technology when connected to its video management system, its research found.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 18, 2023

Oklahoma City earns WELL health-safety rating for facility operations and management

The city is the third in the U.S. to be awarded the certification, as the rating organization pushes for portfolio-level upgrades.

By Joe Burns • Aug. 17, 2023