At the recent Securing New Ground conference, held virtually October 28, the topic of smart buildings came up multiple times — particularly in regards to new technology trends, pandemic impacts as well as cybersecurity concerns and the differences between IT/OT.
Smart buildings aren’t exactly a new concept. For years, future-forward companies have been making their buildings increasingly smart, and now that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much, more people are wondering how to add to the intelligence of their buildings.
The findings of Johnson Controls' annual Energy Efficiency Indicator survey finds that more than half of organizations plan to increase investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart building technology next year, comparable with investment trends after the 2010 recession.
The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to be a driving force behind smart buildings, with the ability to optimize all areas of building operations – from HVAC to surveillance, offering massive potential for facility owners and system integrators to create added value for customers. While goals such as reducing energy consumption and space utilization are still priorities, building owners and operators are searching for solutions to help make workspaces and common areas safe and useable, abiding by new health and safety guidelines. Security professionals are also searching for ways to leverage and augment their technology infrastructure to contribute to the overall safety of their facility, beyond the traditional capabilities of access control and surveillance.
The smart building market is expected to grow from about $7.4 billion in 2017 to nearly $32 billion in 2022, according to a recent report by Garner Insights. That’s more than a quadruple increase in just 5 years!
Transparency is the new sustainability. As building owners and facility managers advocate for sustainable products and practices, security technology manufacturers are taking the total environmental impact of their products into account.
Access control is considered to be an important piece of the smart building puzzle due to the quality of information access control systems can provide regarding building occupants’ whereabouts and how they move through the building.
Sixty-two percent of companies are planning to increase their investment in real estate technology over the next three years. Their reasons for doing so – while still reflecting operational and budgetary goals like security, energy management and optimizing building use – are shifting toward enhancing the user experience and raising workforce productivity.
