Cerberus Cloud Apps from Siemens take fire safety to the next level

Providing remote fire safety services has never been easier with Cerberus Cloud Apps. Secured Cloud Connectivity Enables Remote Access and Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems. The Cerberus Cloud Apps are part of Siemens’ holistic approach to fire protection where every element of fire protection matters – from detection and evacuation, to danger management and cloud services.
Less than 10% of buildings today have the cloud connectivity needed to make remote access possible. This despite inroads that digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) have made in the fire industry in recent years. Then comes COVID-19, which might have an unexpected acceleration of remote access use to manage fire safety and other building technologies. Perhaps the pandemic’s requirement for everyone to keep their distance will speed the acceptance of remote monitoring, maintenance and control of fire safety systems.
Capturing the remote connectivity market
The market for remote connectivity for fire safety systems is vast, since about 90% of buildings are not connected to the cloud. Additionally, most sites do not have an on-premise danger management station. This means that service partners and customers can’t obtain an overview of happenings at their sites without running to a fire alarm control panel. Fire safety solution partners are left asking themselves:
– How do I gain a quick overview of my customers’ fire protection systems?
– How can I reduce high traveling costs and increase customer service quality?
– How can I provide periodic maintenance more efficiently and deliver evidence of executed tests to customers?
Cerberus Cloud Apps from Siemens solve these problems by connecting fire safety solutions to the cloud, which helps digitalize the fire industry and create remote accessibility. Cerberus Cloud Apps use a gateway to connect each site to the cloud so that panel events can be sent to the cloud. Solution partners and customers are then able to directly monitor and operate the fire control panels without having to stand in front of them.
Cerberus Cloud Apps portfolio
To help solutions partners and their customers get the most from cloud platforms and services, Siemens developed the Cerberus Cloud Apps portfolio that includes Cerberus Portal, Cerberus Test and Cerberus Tunnel. They are part of Siemens holistic approach to fire protection in which every element of fire protection matters – from detection and evacuation to danger management and cloud services.
Cerberus Portal
The Cerberus Portal application delivers an overview of all connected sites as well as easy access to them. It also eliminates unnecessary service visits and prepares service engineers for those that still need to take place. The system is simple to install and commission without the need for extended training. Furthermore, communications are encrypted and privacy is maintained in order to ensure the safety of the customer’s data.
Cerberus Portal makes services more efficient for both solution partners and customers by providing secured 24/7 connectivity, multi-site dashboards, real-time monitoring and simple operation.
Cerberus Test
The Cerberus Test application enables service partners to deliver efficient testing during periodic maintenance. Cerberus Test is a native smart-phone application that makes the process faster and more efficient than regular detector testing since only one person is needed. Hands-free text-to-speech functionality increases the speed and efficiency of the maintenance activities. The detector test activities are recorded in the cloud.
Cerberus Tunnel
The Cerberus Tunnel application solves the problem of sending service engineers to a site without knowing the precise problem or if it could have been fixed remotely. Fire service engineers can use Cerberus Tunnel to remotely access the fire safety sites and fix issues without needing to be on site.
Additional benefits of Cerberus Cloud Apps
Cerberus Cloud Apps introduce a number of additional benefits for three important groups: system integrators or service companies, owners or investors, and consultants, planners or designers.
Systems integrators or service companies are looking for new opportunities to increase their competitiveness. For example, remote configuration and commissioning of the systems will reduce travel costs and improve utilization of fire safety engineers, who are becoming an increasingly rare commodity. In addition, these companies will benefit from the step-by-step installation and setup of the cloud solution. By using Cerberus Cloud Apps to digitalize the service business, systems integrators and service companies can take the next step in further improving their resource utilization.
Owners and investors find that Cerberus Cloud Apps put peace of mind at their fingertips. For example, live overviews let them know what is happening with their fire protection systems at any time and anywhere. The system is set up to initiate quick response to fire events. The owners and investors can determine the category of events that trigger notifications and who will receive them. If a fire event occurs, a live status update of the fire control panel in question is sent via SMS or email to the appropriate people. Detailed information about the event makes troubleshooting more time efficient.
The consultants, planners and designers are looking for innovative solutions with future-ready fire protection systems that ensure adherence to standards and regulations.