The smart building market is evolving quickly. As it does so, facility owners and system integrators need an open protocol for integrating diverse building automation systems (BAS) into a s ingle, comprehensive building management system (BMS) that meets the performance, flexibility and cost requirements of applications today and tomorrow.

Smart buildings are no longer a vague idea in the mind of ardent futurists. Today, more than 2.7 billion devices have been deployed in smart buildings to improve operational efficiency, safety, comfort and functionality. As of 2015, 84% of building automation system (BAS) operators reported using Internet-connected systems to tap into the power of the Cloud and Big Data.

Smart cities and smart buildings have advanced by leaps and bounds over the last decade. Smart street lighting, integrated building management systems, and dozens of other applications are quickly moving from pilot phases to full-scale deployment. Yet, as project owners and system integrators begin to make this transition, they are finding that the cost of network deployment is the biggest impediment to their success.