IP-based communication is making a revolutionary impact on the process of building design, construction, and operation. According to Forrester Research, an estimated 14 billion devices are predicted to be connected to the Internet by 2010, with many of these devices operating in buildings as controllers, sensors, servers, and microprocessors. This progressive change in building systems make-up provides an opportunity to achieve higher asset utilization within an improved cost structure while simplifying building operations and management and increasing green performance.

Building stakeholders are increasingly utilizing Unified Physical Infrastructure℠ (UPI) principles to drive interoperability and convergence of building devices and systems that formerly would be separately deployed and managed through proprietary closed technologies. These new intelligent infrastructure design strategies reduce operational expenses with no additional capital costs to fulfill the requirements of current day building systems and provide a flexible migration path to adopt future technologies. Integrated building systems also contribute to core sustainability objectives by managing energy resources more effectively, reducing waste and shrinking the organization’s carbon footprint.