From inventing the elevator with safety gear to creating seamless experiences using digital solutions, Otis is built on a 170-year-long legacy of innovation. The company has the largest service portfolio in its industry, moving over two billion people per day with a steady stream of solutions to modern societal problems. 

As the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digitalization across sectors, it also prompted the elevator industry to develop innovative solutions with holistic safety measures that mitigate both accidents and disease transmission. At the forefront of these innovations and the future of vertical transportation is the Otis ONE™ IoT solution. 

This advanced system gathers data to anticipate potential malfunctions and service needs and proactively sends repair schedules to clients. Otis ONE™  is designed to be intelligent and adaptable, representing Otis’ vision for a seamless journey that is smooth, quiet, safe, durable, and energy efficient. 

“Otis ONE™  has enabled us to provide customers with transparent insight into unit performance, which in turn improves service quality,” says Ian Lau, managing director of Otis Taiwan. “The 24/7 real-time equipment health and performance monitoring means our field colleagues can solve issues proactively.” 

Operation data collected by Otis ONE™ is analyzed and made immediately and transparently available to customers and field technicians servicing the units, granting access to information about their entire portfolio’s performance. 

A complete solution is realized when Otis ONE™ and the company’s Gen2® elevators are combined. With more than 1 million units sold, the Gen2® is Otis’ best-selling elevator, thanks to its quiet, smooth ride, compact design, and energy-efficient operation. 

“The regenerative drive is a major factor for customers choosing Gen2®  family of elevators ,” says Lau, adding that these features enable up to 75% reduced energy consumption. “We are also looking to bring forward even more 5G and IoT to improve products and services for our clients in Taiwan.” 

Building managers can already use Otis’ API digital services to integrate data on elevator availability, maintenance needs, and traffic per floor into their building management system from the Otis developer portal. Being one step ahead of residents’ needs lowers costs, helps manage customer expectations, and provides seamless experiences. 

Safety, notes Lau, is at the core of the company’s products and services. That is why Otis ONE™ empowers proactivity by identifying potential issues and resolving them before a service interruption occurs. However, Lau stresses that unexpected situations might still arise. As an example, he cites the nationwide power outages in 2022, which left hundreds of elevators standing still across Taiwan. In situations like this, passengers in elevators with Otis ONE™ can communicate directly with operators via the communication panels, enabling faster and safer solutions. 

Another pressing issue faced by Taiwan is its transformation into a super-aged society by 2026, with at least 20% of the population aged 65 or above. An aging demographic will make smart buildings and public transportation with inclusive mobility solutions even more vital to the health of society. Otis is part of tackling this issue by offering inclusive mobility solutions with IoT technologies for new buildings and improving the conditions of existing buildings. 

These solutions allow not only humans but also robots to travel safely between floors. Lau notes that as robots are utilized more frequently in hospitality, healthcare, and other industries, smart and customizable solutions have become pivotal to the smooth running of operations. 

“One of our hotel clients uses robots to deliver goods to guests,” he says. “Using our technology, the robots can interact with hotel elevators via the cloud, allowing them to call the elevators, select their destination, enter and exit the car, and deliver goods to guests. The robots now handle around 40-50 on the regularly basis.” Looking toward the future, Lau says the company will continue to be an industry disruptor, utilizing its talent, long history, and culture of innovation to bring elevated experiences to customers.