Virtual Engineer, a technology solution for the control and diagnostics of automatic doors, gates and barriers, won an award as part of the 40th AI Specification Awards sponsored by the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA). At a gala ceremony held at London’s ‘Cheesegrater’ Leadenhall Building on 5 May, the innovative product from Strand Technologies was announced winner of the Product Design and Innovation Electronic Award (Electronic) category.
Ken Price, ADSA’s managing director, presented the award to Strand Technologies’ directors, Simon Bowden and Paul Ryan. The moment was described as a landmark moment for a company, which was founded only last year. Virtual Engineer was selected from a shortlist that also featured products from Assa Abloy, Codelocks and Salto Systems.
Virtual Engineer uses a device attached to entrances; it ‘talks’ to a cloud software platform for on-site or remote management, sending alerts to flag up problems and identify potential causes. The technology potentially saves time and money for engineer call outs.
“I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Strand Technologies,” said Ken. “This is a major accolade which recognises the problem-solving nature of a ground-breaking product that blends electronic and digital technologies for the efficient management of assets.”
The biennial awards event was organised by The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Douglas Masterson, the GAI’s technical manager, added: “We would like to thank ADSA for its involvement and sponsoring this award. We were taken aback by the quality of the entries. All the category finalists demonstrated effective electronic solutions which underpin a user-focused evolution within our industry.” For more information about ADSA membership and services, visit www.adsa.org.uk.
