Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1081695
8 I ICT TODAY Not long ago, buildings were simply dumb boxes containing isolated systems with limited abilities to communicate information or status. Although over the past decade there has been much greater attention given to dashboards and certain levels of automation for core building systems (i.e., HVAC, lighting, plumbing), there has still been a large disconnect with how, or even if, these systems should be more engaged with other commonly used technology systems, sensors, or for that matter the occupants Emergency Systems Digital Credentialing Interactive Media Biometrics Help Desk Support Fault Detection Diagnostics Unified Communication Mobility and BYOD Analytics Personal Geo-location BMS/BAS Digital Parking Security & Surveillance Digital Wayfinding FIGURE 1: Intelligent building technology systems. of the building. There are many justifiable reasons why facilities engineers, responsible for maintaining very complex building systems, would argue to keep the core building system segmented and simple. One of the most common reasons heard repeatedly is that when more advanced "automation" has been attempted in the past (e.g., integrating lighting, HVAC, occupancy sensors) someone ends up sitting in a room with lights that go off unexpectedly and a temperature that will not regulate properly. ICT professionals should be able to relate, as a similar phenomenon occurred with the slow adoption of integrated voice and data systems. However, unifying voice and data communications has happened, and the unified communications (UC) evolution of integration is far from over. Today, data is everywhere in a building with every system from the breakroom refrigerator and coffee maker capable of communicating information to other systems and to the outside world. This really is the era of the intelligent building. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AN INTELLIGENT BUILDING AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ICT PROFESSIONALS? While waiting for the ongoing maturation of the market, which according to the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is expected to grow to $32 billion by 2022, it is beneficial to understand what should be considered basic intelligence features and more advanced intelligence features of a building. BICSI and other associations are updating existing IB standards as well as developing guidelines and specifications needed by those involved in IB design. While these efforts present the opportunity to volunteer, even those not directly involved would benefit from keeping abreast of these developments.