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converged network infrastructure
Disrupting the built
environment with
converged network
infrastructure
Mike Hook
Executive Director
LMG
There is growing recognition of the power for IP-based networks to transform the built
environment. Increasingly building systems and infrastructure are being standardised on
IP-based networks, and this in turn is opening up very real and tangible new opportunities
for building owners and technology vendors to reimagine the ‘smart building’ in more
meaningful ways.
IP-based building networks and connected services are helping to enhance the ‘data view’
of buildings – boosting the sustainability, comfort and security of buildings. IP networks
are also enabling the creation of new personalised experiences for the users of a building.
Indeed, these IoT-enabled services are increasingly seen as a must-have to boost occupant
satisfaction and maximise property values.
And the commercial benefits of IP-enabled buildings are clear too. A study by The Center
for Real Estate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (referenced by PwC) suggests
buyers and tenants will pay an 8.2% premium in rent and a 23.7% premium in transaction
price for fully digitised buildings and personalised occupant experiences.
However, despite these clear benefits, we are still in the early days of the transition to the
IP-based world. The full potential of the IP approach is only being realised in pockets – not
across the built environment as a whole.
The problem with siloes
The obstacle facing developers and installers in the modern marketplace is clear: the
deployment models for building technology – including IP-based systems – are often firmly
stuck in the past.
Currently, the vast majority of buildings – even where IP infrastructures have been
installed – have their security, AV and other systems handled in various disconnected siloes.
Installation and management are handled by separate specialist contractors.
This model only serves to add unnecessary complexity to the digitisation of our buildings,
and is holding back the potential to truly transform the built environment through
technology, boost occupant satisfaction and maximise property values.
How, then, can we simplify deployment processes to unleash the full power of IP networks
across the built environment?
Simplicity is key
Rather than the scattered, inefficient deployment models that are typical, we need to
embrace converged ‘all-in-one’ deployments of network, devices and service management
for buildings.
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