Siemens, Salesforce aim to sell products for COVID-19 back-to-work plans

ZURICH (Reuters) – Siemens and U.S. software developer Salesforce will work together on products to help companies’ employees get back to work while following rules to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the firms said on Tuesday.

The project will link Salesforce’s Work.com platform with products from Siemens Comfy and Enlighted, part of the German company’s Smart Infrastructure businesses, to give employees data on their mobile phones when they return.

Solutions will include “boarding passes’ for building and elevator entry, and a safe occupancy management system which will send warnings when room occupancy limits are reached.

Employee check-in and contact tracing will be also be available for companies if an emergency response is needed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Data will be collected many times per second using Siemens sensors, and delivered to workers and managers via apps.

Many companies are slowly allowing staff to return to work, albeit on staggered or voluntary basis, although some like Swiss bank UBS have said they plan to increase employees working from home permanently.

“The safe return of people to the workplace is a global challenge, and it’s vital that companies protect their employees to build trust and confidence,” said Roland Busch, Deputy CEO and member of the Siemens managing board.

(Reporting by John Revill)