Ron Berstein is the manager of the Open Systems Alliance program for the Echelon Corporation, Encinitas, California. He has been involved with defining and promoting open systems and automation for 20 years and can be reached at rbernstein@echelom.com. This is his first article for Facilities Manager.

Today's open systems marketplace is forcing the buildings industry to rapidly change how business is being done. Manufacturers are embracing the concept of open systems at a staggering rate and the benefits are being realized daily. On the forefront of the emerging technologies are the control systems that combine multi-vendor product and multi-subsystem integration into a common, cohesive building system architecture. The advantages of a single infrastructure reach into almost every aspect of a facility including reduced up front construction costs, lower life cycle costs, improved system management, enhanced back office reporting, better service, and proactive maintenance.

As technologies improve and become more widely adopted, the benefits become realized quicker and by a larger segment of the facility. Much like when a facility puts in an Ethernet network infrastructure, all areas of the facility can now take advantage. Facilities can expand and contract at will because they are not locked into long-term contracts, single source product suppliers, or closed tool-sets. If you want to add a workstation, you can purchase one from any number of companies, plug it in, and it works. You can't turn the corner without finding a certified computer engineer lately. Our kids have become our tech support center. Why? Because of open systems and open standards.

Building Automation Systems Are Undergoing Major Changes
The same concept is making sweeping changes in the facility management and controls sector. Technologies like LonWorks Control Networks, Ethernet, XML, SOAP, and a host of others are opening doors that, in the past have been tightly closed by the system suppliers. In the past, if you wanted to enhance your facility with a Building Automation System (BAS) you might have hired an engineer to write a specification based upon the perceived needs of the facility. The engineer would present the specification for bid and provide a "qualified" bidders list.

More often than not, this list consisted of the recognized major manufacturers of control systems and possibly a few local companies that were "friends" of the facility or the engineer-folks that had proven themselves by installing functional systems at the facility in the past. For the most part, each of these major companies would respond to the bid with a system design consisting of products from one vendor-theirs! If they did not make a product, it most certainly would not be part of the submittal. Or, they may manufacture a product that is outdated or inferior to an alternate, but it is the only option.

Designing Into a Corner
If we learn from the computer market, it is obvious to see that controls manufacturers must make a change away from this type of system. Whatever happened to the large computer manufacturers of the 1980s? Most of them are gone, swallowed up or merged with more progressive companies. The progressive companies have realized that in order to stay competitive, they need to offer choices and to supply what the customer wants and needs, rather than just what they happen to have on the shelf.

Today's successful computer companies offer products from dozens of manufacturers that they simply "integrate" into a system and offer it to the customer. These systems are fully customized based upon the individual requirements of the user. The real value is that building up a PC today is significantly easier than the big computers of the past.

Why? Because of standards and defacto standards. How did the mouse port on a PC become "the mouse port," that round connector also called a PS2 port? Someone (IBM) invented it, put it into their systems, and the rest of the world eventually went along with it. A defacto standard evolved into an open standard. The same is true for the monitor connector, the RS-232 port, the RJ-45 Ethernet port, and the phone plug. All started as one company's idea that was then adopted by everyone.

Evolution and Innovation
In the building control market, the same evolution is taking place. Standards are being adopted from defacto standards-from ideas and products brought to the market by companies.

Arguably the widest sweeping change in the building controls market has been the definition and promotion of an open standard device-level protocol for communication. Much like PCs talk to each other over Ethernet using Internet Protocol (IP) as a standard, device-level manufacturers are building devices with internal communications that will allow their products to talk with other products from other manufacturers without the need for custom design, reengineering, or closed tool-sets. There are numerous examples of technology that over the past few years has emerged as a good idea and evolved into widely deployed systems or technologies throughout the world. And frankly, it looks like it is just getting started.

And when you marry these technologies in innovative ways, the sky is the limit on what you can accomplish. Anyone with an imagination and a little bit of training can take a fundamental concept and confidently deploy a fully working, fully integrated system with products from hundreds of manufacturers.

The Birth of the Open Systems Integrator
No longer are facilities managers going to rely on the product manufacturers as the sole source of bidders on their projects. New products that are more cost effective, offer better performance, and have more features will take the place of the traditional suppliers. As the market opens up, competition will follow and innovation will become paramount.

Through all of this change, who do we rely on to make this technology work for us? Welcome the Systems Integrator! This is the person that you have been working with to install the closed systems hardware you have been purchasing for years. The independent systems integrator is a great source of knowledge and experience and can take on the role of advisor and technology partner.

No longer are these companies limited to what products they supply. As the open systems market will dictate, may the best integrator win! May the best product from the best supplier win! And savvy integrators will be able to research and provide the best options for their customers. In the end, if something doesn't work, you call the local integrator to come fix it. He is the one taking the responsibility for your system.

These independent system integrators will act as your local source for the latest technology, latest products at the best price, and the latest skills to integrate more and more of your facility into one flat, open architecture. Their abilities will grow just like the computer geek you used to know from high school who now runs a Fortune 500 Information Technology department. They will expand their system offerings to include more than the traditional controls components. We'll see HVAC systems tied in with lighting, access, security, lab equipment, irrigation, asset tracking, elevators, process control, energy management, and more.

As more companies adopt an open standard, more products and more innovation will enable greater use of the core infrastructure. Fifteen years ago, who would ever have thought that the Internet would be what it is today. No one could ever predict such a thing with certainty. But we are on the verge of a similar transition.

Education is the Foundation
So where do you go for more information, for more training, or advice? Organizations like APPA and EDUCAUSE are a great source of information on these emerging technologies that are bound to change the way we do business. Attend the industry trade shows and forums. Attend an online or live seminar. You can surf the Web for more information or take classes from various training centers around the planet. There is even a new textbook available that covers the basics. Maybe the best idea is to call your local integrator or controls company and ask them to share with you what they have learned about open systems.

Good luck and happy integrating!