KONE Corporation, press release, November 5, 2020 - KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, today introduces a new solution for offices, high-rise buildings and commercial developments: KONE Office Flow™. It transforms how people can move in a lobby or from floor to floor, combining new connected services for elevators, personalized access management and adaptability over the lifetime of buildings, unlike anything in the industry. KONE Office Flow brings a next generation people flow experience to the office, to meet the evolving needs for smart and sustainable high-rise buildings.

KONE Office Flow has been co-created together with customers and users. As the changing nature of work and digitalization transforms the workplace, KONE Office Flow means a smarter, safer and connected environment is possible today. With touchless access, and predictive elevator calling, it integrates with mobile devices, removing the need for key cards and tags. It features a newly designed destination control system, visitor management and guidance, to reduce waiting and journey times. KONE Office Flow can be adapted to meet the aesthetic design of a building, to optimize people flow, increase safety and set a new standard for tenants, employees and guests. 

 Connectivity means new applications and different types of equipment and services can be added now and in the future. As organizations look to improve office well-being, reduce their environmental footprint and create new smarter workplaces, open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) can securely connect elevators with a growing range of solutions and services. Service robots, navigation apps, smart office and visitor management solutions, or customer-branded applications can be integrated. KONE is working with leading companies in the field of smart buildings and smart access and today announces that it is working with new ecosystem partners including dormakaba, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Smarten Spaces.

“KONE Office Flow is a new solution for the times we are in today as well as the future we want to create,” says Hanna Inget, Head of New Services and Solutions, KONE. “We want to help our customers adapt, particularly as they navigate the effects of the pandemic. The workplace of the future will be a dynamic mix of both the physical and the digital, where offices need to be flexibly modified to meet evolving demands. Personalized experiences boost innovation, attract talent and ensure the overall well-being of employees. KONE Office Flow is a flexible, connected solution that grows with your needs and adapts to the digital future of the workplace.”

 KONE is also introducing a complete range of flexible solutions for its high-rise customers, to help improve the planning, construction and operation of taller buildings. These solutions are ideal for new projects as well as the upgrade of existing buildings. The offering includes tools which use cutting-edge robotics to assist with the precise installation of elevators in high-rise elevator shafts. In addition, KONE DX Class elevators will be available in selected markets for high-rise customers, bringing the ability to adapt and improve the elevator experience. KONE’s iconic DX Class elevators have changed the role of elevators in buildings, offering options for connectivity and a customizable user experience, using dynamic displays, sound and lighting, and materials with anti-stain, anti-scratch and anti-bacterial surfaces. The elevator range also uses sustainable materials to meet green building criteria like BREEAM and LEED.

“We want to rethink high-rise because of the exciting opportunities we see in the future together with our customers,” says Tomio Pihkala, EVP, New Equipment Business, KONE. “With a combination of physical design, digital technologies including AI, as well as new services, we can change the game in terms of what is the best people flow experience and how that can evolve in a high-rise environment. We are taking a quantum leap towards smart and sustainable urban environments.”

 For more information about these solutions, please visit our website. Related images are available at KONE's Material Bank.


For further information, please contact: 
Hanna Rutanen, Director, External Communications, KONE Corporation, tel. +358 41 507 1361, media@kone.com


Notes to editors:
KONE Office Flow uses KONE Destination, KONE Access and KONE Mobile Experience.

KONE Office Flow supports BACnet, a data communication protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks. It allows for quick device discovery and optimized installation, delivering real-time diagnostics for even smarter building management.

About dormakaba
dormakaba makes access in life smart and secure. 
dormakaba is the trusted partner for products, solutions and services for access to buildings and rooms from a single source. dormakaba supports KONE within Seamless integration of semi-public and private tenant infrastructure regarding access permissions and enforcement supported by door solutions from unconnected locks to gates and automated doors. https://www.dormakaba.com/en/products/electronic-access-data 

About Schneider Electric 
Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On. 
Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries. We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com 

About Siemens SI
Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries. SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source – with products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption. With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. SI creates environments that care. Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and has around 72,000 employees worldwide. https://siemens.com/smartinfrastructure 

About Smarten Spaces
Founded in 2017, Smarten Spaces offers an end-to-end solution for workplace safety and flexibility on a single technology platform to help businesses manage their spaces effectively. The company’s disruptive ‘Back to Work’ technology with AI Desk Management is an innovative and comprehensive technology stack which balances work-from-home and the future workplace together. The technology is trusted by Fortune 500 companies in over 120 locations including New York, Chicago, London, Sydney, Helsinki, Moscow, Singapore and more. A testament to Smarten Spaces’ innovation and robust technology, Smarten Spaces has been recently enrolled under the SG:D Spark programme by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). https://smartenspaces.com/ 


Read more
Previous press releases are available at https://www.kone.com/en/news-and-insights/releases/ including:
September 28, 2020: KONE sets ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and pledges to have carbon neutral operations by 2030
May 11, 2020: KONE introduces solutions for healthier and safer people flow environments
November 29, 2019: KONE DX Class elevators take the industry into a new era - the world's first elevator series with built-in digital connectivity as standard 


About KONE
At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people's journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2019, KONE had annual sales of EUR 10 billion, and at the end of the year approximately 60,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.
www.kone.com