spaceOS announces pilot deal with Hitachi

The global operating system for safe, flexible and human-centric workspaces, has agreed an integration deal with the Japanese tech giant to combine the Hitachi platform into spaceOS’ workspace management app.

This will provide Hitachi’s commercial real estate clients in Japan with a complete, integrated smart building ecosystem.

At present, spaceOS is the only workspace operating system to be selected by Hitachi to collaborate on offering a solution to its clients. The firm’s unrivalled open architecture will allow Hitachi to seamlessly integrate into the app. With Hitachi’s technology rolled-out across every second commercial building in Japan, the opportunities for further expansion beyond the initial pilot are substantial.

Hitachi has $90bn in annual revenue, and employs 295,000 people. Tokyo alone has 700m sq ft of class A and B office space.

The launch of the platform has been one of Hitachi’s top priorities, as the company seeks to support new working styles and improve the quality of workspace experience for its clients. The app will enable Hitachi, through its building service business unit which sells internet of things sensors and systems, to offer its customers features including community programming, facilities management, access control, meeting room and desk booking, vendor and services ordering and payment, and workspace analytics. The app will also provide additional tools to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection in workspaces, such as air quality control, density management, touchless access and arrival time management. As the Covid-19 outbreak speeds the evolution of workspaces, the platform will also offer commercial real estate operators an end-to-end management system to market, sell, and run flex-space.

Yoshikatsu Kosuge, general manager of Hitachi’s building system business unit, explains: “It is our pleasure to collaborate with spaceOS for the pilot project in Japan. Through this collaboration with spaceOS, we look forward to accelerating customers’ digital transformation and contributing to improving quality of life for office workers.”

The deal follows a €2.5m fundraise announced earlier this month by spaceOS. Marley Fabisiewicz, co-founder of spaceOS, comments: “This is an enormously exciting time for spaceOS. Hitachi is a hugely respected, global brand and we are delighted that the company has chosen to collaborate with us. This partnership is a real testament to the quality of our product, the expertise of our team, and our unrivalled open architecture, all of which have put us firmly ahead of other players in the market to ensure we were selected for this pilot. We look forward to working closely with Hitachi and to our first launches together over the next year.”

Maciej Markowski, co-founder of spaceOS, adds: “Speeded by the global pandemic, workspace is changing fast. It’s vital that operators and tenants adapt accordingly and embrace innovative, effective solutions. Hitachi has recognised that our unrivalled technology is powering the future of office real estate and flex-space by ensuring safe, flexible and human-centric environments. We are delighted to be partnering together to bring our operating system to their clients across Japan.”

Hitachi drives digital innovation across five sectors – Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT – through Lumada, Hitachi’s advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation. Its purpose is to deliver solutions that increase social, environmental and economic value for its customers.