Leading technology alliances unite behind IP as secure backbone for building automation
BACnet International, the KNX Association, OCF, the Thread Group and the Zigbee Alliance have announced that they are working together to better align commercial buildings with users’ connectivity needs and to improve the integration of smart building products.
The new initiative is dubbed the ‘IP Building and Lighting Standards’ (IP-BLiS).
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It aims to promote a secure multi-standard IP-based infrastructure as the backbone in building automation to replace the inefficient and still-widespread use of siloed solutions. This aims to harmonise the operation of leading technology standards and reduce fragmentation in smart building connectivity.
“The advent of the IoT has progressively required more and more collaboration between manufacturers, ecosystems and global standards organisations to unlock the evolving potential offered by connected devices,” Zigbee Alliance president and chief executive Tobin Richardson says.
“Through IP-BLiS, we’re looking forward to helping facilitate more efficiencies for users across commercial settings through secure, all-IP-based standards for better lighting control and building management.”
As it currently sits, there is no automation technology available that covers all the use-cases required to fully automate a commercial building. From elevators and energy management, to lighting, water supply and air conditioning, to access control and surveillance systems: there are countless application scenarios for technologies in smart buildings.
Some building systems even use a variety of solutions which often require separate hardware-based gateways and infrastructures. This results in higher costs for planning, installation, maintenance and administration on top of the lost long-term, synergistic opportunities.
The members of IP-BLiS aim to combine light control and building management systems with IT networks by using a secure all IP-based configuration while harmonising the operation of their technical standards accordingly. This will allow data from a wide variety of building systems to be accessible via a single IP address.
“The BACnet community is collaborative by nature and we welcome the opportunity to promote fully integrated building systems through IP-BLiS,” BACnet International president Andy McMillan says.
“IP-BLiS is a powerful platform for communicating the value of IP in addressing the complexity and dynamic requirements of building information and control systems.”
KNX Association International president Franz Kammerl adds that the organisation is proud to be a part of IP-BLiS: “This initiative is a real game-changer for building automation that will further accelerate the growth of the market thanks to its added values in terms of integration, scalability and security.”
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