A new stage in the development of system integration: «system master — integrator».
The development of today's open systems market is leading to a dramatic change in business relations in the field of building automation.
Most manufacturers are moving or have already moved to open systems.
The use of a single infrastructure across all sectors has benefits for every aspect of the operation and maintenance of real estate: from low planning costs, reduced life cycle costs, optimized systems management and an expanded form of accounting, to the provision of a higher level of service and maintenance.
Evolution and innovation: the emergence of the Master Systems Integrator concept
The field of building automation is constantly evolving: certain optimal solutions developed in industry become standards for the entire industry.
At the same time, a new qualification is being created – system master integrator.
What leads to such changes?
Perhaps the biggest impact on the building automation market has been the definition and spread of an open standard for device-level communication: Ethernet connections between computers are made via IP according to the standard, and manufacturers, for their part, produce devices with an already integrated protocol that allows them to communicate with devices from other manufacturers (and this communication does not require any special development, technical changes or special software tools).
An example of a technology that enables communication between devices from different manufacturers is LonWorks technology with the LonTalk protocol.
In recent years, LonWorks technology has become one of the most widely used building automation technologies, with more than 100 million units installed worldwide.
Integrated property managers are no longer dependent on a single manufacturer of building automation devices and systems.
New, cheaper, yet more efficient products with more features are replacing those of traditional suppliers. The market is becoming more open, new competitive relationships are emerging, and innovation is playing an increasingly important role.
With all these changes, who can we rely on to make sure that this technology will work for us?
System master integrators – those who have many years of experience working with closed automation systems.
Independent system integrators are becoming increasingly important sources of professional knowledge and experience.
They are taking on the roles of technology partners and consultants. These companies are gradually moving away from the forced limitations in the choice of devices that inevitably arise when using closed systems.
Now they can choose products from dozens of different manufacturers and create a product portfolio that fully meets customer requirements.
The evolution seen in the automation market today is similar to the evolution seen in the computer industry in recent decades, from proprietary, bundled systems consisting of hardware and software from a single provider to today's standard use of hardware and software from multiple vendors within a single system.
Today's marketplace has products offered by hundreds of different vendors.
Competition has increased, prices have dropped, and productivity and efficiency have increased dramatically.
The same thing is now happening in the automation market.
New products, as well as new integrators and end users with sufficient knowledge, contribute to the fact that the market is changing in the direction of more choice, better control, more developed competition and the need for quality education.
A new approach to tenders
A key element in the work of a system master integrator is the integration of the building into the work and life of the company, which requires a more IT-focused approach.
Master System Integrators need engineers who can design and implement a fully integrated IT solution for a given building type.
They must be knowledgeable about all the common standards for security, routing, Ethernet, etc., and be able to design a cost-effective and efficient system that can be adapted, expanded, reduced, or modified over time. Building owners are increasingly not limiting themselves to a single building when creating a project.
They think in terms of a campus, a building complex, or a network of buildings that are remote from each other and have a common control system and communicate via a common interface.
From a systems management perspective, the modern office is more like a central data processing station than an integrated property manager's office.
How does the collaboration between a systems master integrator and a supplier of automatic control and regulation technology work?
And what is each of them responsible for?
A parallel specification is being formed on the market.
If the supplier of automatic control equipment is responsible for the development of special devices and systems for the automation of a specific facility, then the competence of the system master integrator includes the integration of this specific facility/building into the general plan of the enterprise.
The automation specialist defines the requirements of the facility with all control functions, as is the case with an individual building.
The Master Integrator defines how each building will be connected to a common graphical user interface, how monitoring and control works at a high level, and what the standards for user interfaces should look like.
In the future, the Master Integrator will also play an important role in monitoring tenders and building fund documentation to ensure compliance.
In this case, the master system integrator becomes one of the contractors with the same rights as the others. He is responsible for the integration of all subsystems, regardless of which subcontractor is responsible for installing a particular subsystem.
The reason for this separation is to maintain fair competition both in the installation of systems and in long-term service contracts.
Some projects require that the automation equipment supplier and the master integrator not be the same company.
This approach reduces the volume of offers with proprietary solutions from a single source, where hardware, software, integration and service are assigned to one company.
Forward-thinking property owners know that the choice of supplier determines the largest part of their future operating costs, and therefore strive to avoid limiting their choice.
Splitting the trend into two areas allows different suppliers to participate in the trends for each individual building of the property.
At the same time, it provides the opportunity to develop a common graphical user interface and use it for all buildings of the property.
Often, contracts with the system master integrator are concluded for several years with the option to provide a new offer after this time.
By using standard IT structures and by declaring a tender for the integration of non-proprietary systems, a wide range of options is provided and cost management is significantly simplified.
As more and more companies choose the open protocol, more and more products and innovations based on the open protocol appear on the market, which in turn stimulates the development of open technologies.
Who would have thought 15 years ago that the Internet would become what it is today?
Such developments cannot be predicted in advance. However, today we are in the early stages of similar changes.
Today, it is a matter of course for us that we have different suppliers of hardware, software and operating systems.
We even outsource the integration of our computer systems to local integrators.
Thanks to the acquired flexibility, the computer market has reached enormous proportions.
The automation market is moving along the same path.