With current closed-circuit television (CCTV), access control and tracking device technology, it is already possible to track and monitor populations on a giant scale. As these technologies filter down to facility level systems, what should FM's be looking at when it comes to monitoring people moving through their buildings?

When journalist and author Naomi Klein investigated China's surveillance market for Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year, her piece was subtitled "China's allseeing eye", and dramatically revealed an explosion in CCTV and surveillance. In one example, Shenzhen has seen the installation of 200,000 cameras across the city over the past two years, and it is estimated that by 2011, the city will boast over two million cameras. Combined with other people tracking technologies such as RFID, wi-fi, GPS and mobile telephone tracking, it would seem like the potential possibilities are endless. Conspiracy theorists will doubtless be conjuring up images of a big brother state snooping on citizen's privacy. However, those involved in the industries of the built environment will be asking, how can people tracking be used to improve the management and activities taking place within our facilities?