Management of engineering systems based on communication networks.
Unfortunately, there is still no unambiguous definition of an intelligent building (IB) – everyone sees in it what is closer to them. Security companies, fascinated by the integrated security system, are ready to consider any building where it exists to be intelligent. A modern air conditioner that maintains a microclimate is also a kind of IB element. In turn, no one will prove to communications specialists that any building can be intelligent without the presence of various communication systems. It is much more important today to provide an integrated and automated infrastructure that will save energy resources, create comfort, provide information services, manage all processes and ensure security.
The main thing in the opinion of specialists of various profiles will be one thing: all systems located in the building must be controlled and managed. The said management can be carried out, including, with the help of communication services and again by means of communication networks. The telecommunications company «COMSTAR — United Telesystems» is today actively developing the direction of creating IZ, the management of all engineering systems and resources in which is carried out on the basis of communication networks. At the same time, the problem of minimizing the costs of maintaining all systems is solved.
Child of market integration
The complex task of creating an IZ, it would seem, should be solved by the efforts of participants in different markets: construction, IT and communications. However, in practice this is not observed due to completely objective reasons and, mainly, because the problem of creating an IZ is still too young. However, already now it is possible to identify some trends that contribute to some rapprochement of potential partners.
The construction market is clearly interested in the capabilities of the telecommunications infrastructure of buildings in both the residential and commercial real estate sectors due to the increased attractiveness of real estate projects in the eyes of potential buyers and the possibility of cost-effectively connecting, for example, a group of buildings using specialized communication networks.
As they develop, communication operators offer an increasing number of solutions that take into account the wishes of corporate customers regarding the range of communication services at the site and their scalability.
In turn, the «IT stuffing» of the IZ uses, as a rule, a local data transmission network with low information transmission speeds to control its engineering systems. This allows us to say that the needs for communication services of the engineering systems of the «intelligent building» relate, rather, to low-speed telecommunication services and are insignificant relative to other communication services supplied to the building.
Thus, all potential needs for telecommunications networks and services within “smart buildings” can be quickly and cost-effectively implemented by suppliers of other communication services in a single technological cycle. And this creates serious prerequisites for joint activities of communication operators and IT integrators in “smart buildings”.
How can this be done better?
To solve the problem most effectively, it makes sense to combine efforts. Fortunately, representatives of the three markets have now shown some interest in each other.
COMSTAR-United Telesystems sees the main difficulties in connection with the underestimation by the market participants themselves (construction, IT and communications) of the potential advantages of cooperation. Today, the «hunt» for the developer of the IZ is carried out either by communications specialists or IT companies (options with numerous contractors are not even considered), and such a project is usually characterized by a «one-sided» service in the building: either the communications are very good, or the management of engineering systems is not bad. Separate work of IT specialists to create a management system of the IZ can be very effective, but by no means optimal for the end user. In addition, this cooperation can reduce part of the investments in the project, usually carried out by both IT companies and communications operators. To solve the above problems, COMSTAR-United Telesystems advocates the development of trilateral cooperation with both construction organizations and integrators.
About the company:
JSC COMSTAR-United Telesystems is the largest multi-service communications operator in Moscow and the Moscow region in terms of financial indicators and subscriber base, offering telecommunications services in a number of regions of Russia and the CIS countries.
The COMSTAR-UTS Group of Companies includes Moscow City Telephone Network (MGTS), the leader of the Moscow fixed-line communications market, and COMSTAR-Direct, the largest provider of broadband Internet access services in Russia. COMSTAR-UTS provides corporate clients and private users with telephony, data transmission, Internet access, pay TV and other additional services using its own next-generation network NGN and access to the “last mile” in 96% of Moscow households. The subscriber base of COMSTAR-UTS as of the end of the second quarter of 2007 includes 3.6 million MGTS subscribers, about 40 thousand COMSTAR-Moscow clients, more than 510 thousand COMSTAR-Direct Internet access users and more than 90 thousand regional and international subscribers.
The consolidated revenue of the Group of Companies in 2006 amounted to $1.12 billion. Securities of COMSTAR – United TeleSystems are admitted to trading on the Moscow and London Stock Exchanges under the ticker CMST.