Virtual manager with pre-defined rules to generate an alert in response to a specified event

A virtual management system data processing unit comprising:

• a transceiver arranged to control a flow of data to and from the data processing unit;
• a processor for receiving, via the transceiver, at least a portion of event data acquired from at least one local data acquisition device, the processor, in response to a set of pre-defined rules, operable to:
• analyse the event data;
• compare the event data to the set of predefined rules, and based on the comparison indicating that a specified event has occurred;
• generate an alert;
• transmit the alert to a remote device associated with an employee, via the transceiver;
• and
• dynamically update the predefined rules in response to the event data by analysing the event data for one or more event patterns and update the predefined rules based on the one or more event patterns;
• wherein prior to transmitting of the alert to the remote device the processor is further operable to, in response to the set of predefined rules, compare an occurrence of the specified event with stored historic data to determine an event trend and select whether to elevate or demote a level of management hierarchy to which the alert is directed based on the event trend.