LONDON, October 27, 2016
With the dramatic change to London’s skyline currently underway, the city and the rest of the UK will be set with modern high-rise buildings. Otis, whose founder invented the modern elevator, is introducing new elevator products and services to meet that demand, including the connected Gen2® Life elevator and the expanded Otis SkyRise® product family for high-rise buildings.
“It’s predicted that 60 percent of the world will be living in cities by 2030, and Otis is leading the way with new products and services that combine connectivity with the modern designs as well as the mechanical and functional excellence that has been critical to our success for more than 160 years,” said Hemant Jolly, managing director of Otis, UK and Ireland. “These investments show that Otis is a multinational company that sees tremendous opportunity in the UK, and we look forward to showing people here how our new products and services can bring passengers – and the buildings they live and work in – to the next level.”
Former President of the Royal Institute of British Architects and English architect Maxwell Hutchinson said: “The ever fresh and resourceful London is in the vanguard of the reach for the sky; ever higher, ever different, ever more and more ingenuous. Higher requires fast, reliable efficient vertical circulation to move the sky dweller and worker. In 1854 Elisha Otis knew it and introduced the world to the Otis Safety Lift to do the job.”
High-end products for tomorrow’s smart buildings
The Gen2 elevator redefined the elevator industry with breakthrough technology that replaced conventional ropes with flat belts, leading to a more comfortable ride, greater reliability, more efficient operation and increased energy efficiency compared to conventional roped elevators. Since its introduction, the Gen2 elevator has become one of the company’s best-selling elevators in Otis’ 163-year history with more than half-million units sold.
Now, the Gen2 Life builds on that legacy, adding more than 400,000 elevator design combinations with new interior design concepts, providing continuity with the architecture and design of a building.
The Gen2 Life also features integration of multimedia and connected services, including a full HD eView™ screen; Otis’ eCall™ mobile application and OneCall™ dashboard.
High-rise solutions for the UK’s tallest buildings
Otis also recently expanded its SkyRise product family, designed for the world’s tallest buildings. The self-climbing SkyBuild elevator joins the SkyRise family as a time-saving option. Installed at the beginning of a building’s construction, the SkyBuild elevator allows movement of crews and tools quickly and safely – without an external lift or exposure to weather. Its unique hydraulic piston system enables it to quickly climb one floor at a time as the building rises. Once construction is complete, the SkyBuild elevator quickly transitions for immediate service as a SkyRise elevator.
Service to meet the demands of the future
Otis mechanics in the UK will also be among the first to pilot new technology to improve elevator and escalator repair and maintenance. As part of Otis’ service digitalisation strategy, the mechanics will receive new smartphones with apps to provide more efficient service and enhanced customer communication. The global investment will reach Otis’ more than 31,000 service mechanics, starting in key locations, including the UK.
“The UK was picked as one of several pilots for this initiative because of its global importance in the building sector,” Jolly said. “Here, we like to say we’re ‘leading the fleet’ to a future of more connected elevators and ever-smarter buildings.”