The convergence of physical security with building management and control solutions is a clear trend in the market, says Frost & Sullivan. Great potential for fully integrated systems exists, both from application and operational savings perspectives. However, end-users have been slow at adopting these systems, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the possible advantages, perceived higher costs as well as a "compartmental" vision of the different systems and applications.

 

 

According to Matia Grossi of Frost & Sullivan, "The growing importance of the integration of security systems with other building management systems has led to the growth of integration software. Increasingly used to protect critical infrastructure, these "converged" systems are now gaining some traction in the commercial space as well. This has led to the convergence of competition as well with companies from the IT, telecom, building automation and security spaces competing for the same tenders."

 

 

"Connecting building functions together represents a huge potential also for energy savings, which cannot be overlooked," adds Reka Szanto. "The use of standard protocols is essential, but the industry as a whole first needs to overcome some challenges before making the full use of intelligent or smart buildings. However, the unanswered question remains open: is there really a drive from either suppliers or customers towards fully integrated projects?"