This month we shine the spotlight on our partners at Aegis Systems. We got in touch with Nijad-Michael Saadé, Managing Director and co-founder, to learn more about his company and the great work they do to bring IoT solutions to their clients in The United Arab Emirates.

Tell us about how your company was founded.

My father Zaki Saade and I founded Aegis Systems in The United Arab Emirates from private funding. We focus on information and communications technology (ICT), Internet of Things (IoT) and security solutions. Between both of us, we have over forty years of experience in telecommunications, control systems, management, and startups. The most recent wave of technology development and progress compelled us to shift our focus to IoT and Blockchain applications. We felt there was a demand from the market supported by a push from the government to adopt new technologies. Since we founded Aegis Systems in 2015, there has been an increasing demand for IoT solutions. The growth of smart cities and smart buildings has arrived in the region. So it made sense to us to form Aegis Systems to provide energy efficiency and building management systems that would provide value to our clients.

What evolution have you seen in the energy management space since you started your career?  

While different energy and environment related concerns have been the focus of technology and the world in general, it seems that efficiency solutions combined with the desire to reduce carbon footprint have exploded. Both of which can really have a positive economic and social impact at a local and global level. Being able to apply different types of sensors to monitor, measure, and continuously store data that can later be analyzed to provide smart decision-making analytics is a game changer. This latest approach to building management is the most effective and critical step that will really help us reduce energy waste and deliver clear ROI to our clients.

What are the main reasons and benefits for partnering with BuildingIQ?

BuildingIQ has —for many years— been engaged in research and development of solutions using the latest technology advances and analytics. It became evident to us that savings and optimization of building operations and energy spending could be realized intelligently with the BuildingIQ 5i Platform.

BuildingIQ is growing internationally through partnerships and support from companies like ours. Working closely with BuildingIQ, we are able to establish a leadership position in building management consulting in our region. Furthermore, we meet our clients’ expectations by providing state-of-the-art solutions and the intelligence needed to gain control of building energy spending via optimum operation.

In your view, what are some of the advantages of being able to gather building data on a granular level?

Data granularity is the key to the latest approach in gathering a large amount of data —from any source. It allows for intelligent software to extract meaningful analysis with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Which in turns provides the needed volume of information that can be used to achieve the goals of operational efficiency, savings, and reduced waste.

What is your vision for the future of energy management and building automation?

Thanks to the learning process of these new building management solutions (e.i. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), issues like tenant comfort will require little operation and maintenance. We see this as a social and economic benefit optimized over time.

Nijad-Michael Saadé is Managing Director and co-founder of Aegis Systems, a technology partner focused on design, integration, and implementation of IoT and M2M solutions.