We have all been a part of conversations surrounding convergence over the past few years and it is exciting to know that in 2018, the rubber has officially met the road. We are amid exciting times on the scale of what some say parallels the next industrial revolution. Convergence is happening all around us: in enterprise, in manufacturing and in hospitality. Nowhere is it more prevalent than in the development and implementation of intelligent or smart buildings. Whether we are talking about the digital ceiling, IP lighting, sensor-driven technologies, or the emergence of BACnet IP, the worlds of facilities and IT are converging daily. Change can be challenging but it is coming. If we look in the rear-view mirror several years back, we have already lived through one such paradigm change as we moved from analog to IP telephony.
Intelligent buildings can be complex integrations especially in retrofit environments. One of the key challenges we face, especially as we bring legacy MEP, access control and security systems online with converged IP platforms, is who will own the network on Day 2? Through this convergence, special consideration needs to be given as to how the network hierarchy is established -- especially VLANS and all the relevant cyber and firewalling concerns. One thing we cannot lose sight of during these integrations is that yes, building efficiency and cost savings are important, but it is all about the user and customer experience. As it relates to this conversation, those are the building tenants as well and the building owner if in fact, they are not one in the same. All the technology in the world will get lost in the shuffle if the user experience is not improved throughout the process.
As technology continues to change our lives almost daily, we can site examples of efficiency that we have experienced along the way. As convergence continues to evolve we must be open minded. Maybe we are brought into an area where we are uncomfortable or perhaps have a fear of the unknown. We must keep in mind the big picture and that is one of operation efficiency and the user experience.
Contact us and find out how we can improve your organization's operation efficiency and user experience.