IQ4-Cloud takes web based irrigation management to a new level
Through its commitment to the Intelligent Use of Water™, Rain Bird is dedicated to the development of the most advanced irrigation products for commercial landscapes, sports turf applications and the residential market.
With irrigation professionals continually looking to manage their installations more effectively in order to conserve water, save money and ensure healthier landscapes, Rain Bird is continually at the forefront of the development of central control systems.
The company’s IQ Platform has for many years set the standard as a solution for contractors and end users with responsibility for the irrigation of commercial properties, sports stadia, training grounds and other amenities featuring both single and multiple zones or controllers. With the new IQ4-Cloud, the platform has been completely redesigned and rewritten to become more versatile, more user-friendly and more secure than ever before. It is also free of charge for anyone who has already invested in compatible Rain Bird controllers and connected devices.
IQ4-Cloud is designed for use with Rain Bird’s established ESP-LX Series controllers or the new ESP-LX IVM range. It is 100% browser based and operates in a similar way to on-line banking, offering high levels of functionality and control over irrigation through any internet connected smartphone, tablet or desktop PC. The full suite of remote management tools is accessible through a mobile-ready, user-friendly interface with automatic scaling of pages and forms on any chosen device.
New features, including streamlined navigation, allow fast and agile programming of controllers. For example, the time required to drill down to each controller’s program and the time spent setting a new program or adding new zones and controllers have been significantly reduced. From their device, users can see in real time which zones and controllers are operating and can immediately access information on performance.
For controllers equipped with flow sensors, minute-by-minute flow logs and graphical reports show actual versus projected flow rates. IQ4 can automatically create and share detailed analysis of irrigation times, total water usage and other key data. As well as automated e-mail alerts and alarms, text notifications on mobile phones are now available to help quickly identify and manage operational queries in the field.
