A new machine learning model and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and automation will enable Microsoft smart buildings to keep company employees as comfortable as possible when they return to their offices once COIVD-19 restrictions are rolled back.

Microsoft’s real estate operations team relies on energy smart buildings, structures with interconnected automation and sensors, to responsibly maintain a base level of comfort.

Microsoft has deployed more than 50,000 sensors in roughly 100 buildings throughout Microsoft’s Puget Sound region in Washington state. The company is using data captured from these sensors to identify issues and inefficiencies as they happen, allowing them to be fixed before employees even notice them.

“Hot and cold calls are the biggest part of our facilities management requests,” says Mark Obermayer, a senior program manager on the Real Estate & Facilities (RE&F) team, the group responsible for managing the buildings across Microsoft. “A lot of our work is making sure our employees are comfortable and productive. It makes a big difference.”

+INFO: Microsoft