As control rooms face growing demands for faster response and better situational awareness, automation is emerging as a powerful tool for improving efficiency and consistency. From traffic management to emergency response centers, operators are under constant pressure to interpret vast data feeds and make rapid decisions. That’s why automating routine tasks, highlighting critical events, and delivering timely, relevant information has become essential to effective control room operations.Â
Enter Aetria Events: Real-Time Intelligence, Built-InÂ
The latest evolution in Datapath’s Aetria platform, Aetria Events, is a powerful, integrated automation engine that transforms how control rooms operate. It provides a visual, low-code interface (built on Node-RED) that enables users to create intelligent workflows based on internal system triggers or external events.Â
Smart Triggers for Smart SituationsÂ
With support for SNMP traps, WebSockets, TCP messages, and API calls, Aetria can listen to virtually any third-party system and respond immediately and intelligently. Â
Here’s how it works in practice:Â
Cable disconnects from a capture card?Â
- Automatically switch to a backup source—without operator intervention.Â
A mission-critical source goes offline?
- Aetria can check if that feed is visible and replace it with a backup on-screen.Â
An application sends an API error alert?
- Aetria can show that source on the video wall with a flashing red border, so it’s not missed.Â
Citywide emergency declared?
- Lights dim, doors lock, and critical cameras and data feeds are automatically displayed—creating a focused, secure environment in seconds.Â
All of this happens in seconds—thanks to a tight integration between Aetria and third-party systems.Â
User-Centric and Location-Agnostic
What sets Aetria apart is how well it supports the people in the control room. Operators can create custom dashboard buttons to trigger specific workflows, layouts, or content views—tailored to their roles. Thanks to user rights management, those buttons follow them wherever they log in—consistency across shifts, desks, or rooms.Â
Whether information is displayed on a workstation or a video wall, it’s delivered accurately and securely, maintaining workflow continuity and empowering operators to react without barriers.Â
A Real-World Example: Emergency Mode in Action
One European public safety organization provided a compelling use case:
In a serious citywide emergency, they wanted to:Â
- Display a predefined crisis layout on the video wallÂ
- Dim lights in the control room to enhance operator focusÂ
- Activate a red light in the hallway to restrict accessÂ
With Aetria Events, all of this is possible—and programmable. As long as the external systems can send a signal via standard protocols, Aetria can orchestrate the entire response sequence automatically.Â
The Future: Integrated, Responsive, Automated
This level of joined-up thinking is the future of control room technology. By combining powerful automation with real-time intelligence, Aetria enhances operator efficiency—supporting them to respond faster, with more confidence, and with fewer manual interventions. Â
