Honeywell is preparing to launch its Smart Wi-Fi thermostat in the Middle East sometime in Q1 of this year.

“We’re expecting a lot of interest in this lifestyle-enhancing product,” said Dilip Sinha, business leader and regional general manager, Middle East and Africa, Honeywell Environmental & Combustion Controls.

The new product helps manage users’ home comfort and energy use through the smartphone, tablet or computer from anywhere at home.

“Smart thermostats learn your heating/cooling cycles, and then optimise your HVAC system to deliver the right temperature at the right time. Our smart thermostats are simple to set up and understand, and feature a customisable colour touchscreen, which is less cluttered and easy on the eyes. They take smart living to a new level by also providing users with maintenance reminders in the form of alerts,” said Sinha.

The Smart Wi-Fi thermostat is one of several innovations developed by Honeywell in recent years.

CT50 TRACTION

The company’s Dolphin CT50 mobile computer, which targets highly mobile frontline employees in scan-intensive workflows such as on-demand delivery, field service, and customer engagement, was shipped to the region from last August.

The Smart Wi-Fi thermostat will be out in Q1 2016 in the region

The product has been devised to provide employees who require a mobile office with the modern conveniences of an all-touch smartphone.  “Dolphin CT50 gives mobile workers the ability to collect and process huge quantities of data while using multiple applications quickly and reliably on their device in transport and logistics, field service, direct store delivery, and warehouse environments,” explained Sinha.

The CT50 is built on the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series processor, and features a sleek, pocket-friendly design that is rugged enough to protect the device against dust and water immersion. It includes Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE connectivity to ensure access to business-critical applications and rich multimedia such as streaming video and videoconferences whether in the office or connecting remotely on the go. Featuring best-in-class imaging hardware and decoding software for fast and accurate omni-channel bar-code reading, the Dolphin CT50 offers maximum productivity for on-demand delivery, remote technicians and metering workers.

According to Honeywell, the Dolphin CT50 is witnessing an increasing amount of traction from companies involved in transport and logistics, field service, direct store delivery and warehouse management.

LYNX TOUCH

Another high-tech project that Honeywell introduced in the UAE two years ago and is also available in Saudi Arabia but has still to be rolled out in the rest of the GCC is the Lynx touch, a self-contained security and control system for homes and small businesses that features a bright, seven-inch full-colour touchscreen display with graphic icons and intuitive prompts for easy operation. With the ability to view live video of up to four cameras right on the large display, Lynx Touch enhances user experience and provides home and business owners with better security and awareness of activities happening in and around the premises.

Lynx Touch also offers Z-Wave automation capabilities including the sunrise/sunset feature, advanced alarm communications, garage door notification and control. The system supports up to six door locks, four thermostats and additional Z-Wave sensors that can shut down main water valves when water is detected—which may potentially avert and minimise the damages and costs associated with flooding.

Sinha emphasised that connectivity and technology that facilitate integrated solutions are the future. He quoted recent research saying that the number of Internet-connected devices was set to grow from 10.3 billion in 2014 to 29.5 billion in 2020.

“The Gulf and broader Middle East region is readily embracing new trends, and we feel, with our innovative technology, that Honeywell is perfectly poised to make the connected worker, the connected home and the connected building a reality,” the official observed.

“With technology in more than 150 million homes, 10 million buildings and thousands of industrial facilities around the world, Honeywell is a global leader in connected technologies for home, business and industry. Honeywell has a rich heritage in the Gulf region with technology in many key infrastructure projects. We are committed to continuing to develop solutions that improve the quality of life for people in the Gulf.”