Buildings with Brains

There is a growing opportunity for IT solutions providers to navigate into the world of Commercial Real Estate. Normally, building owners think in terms of improving yields by increasing rents and lower operating expenses. The IT solutions providers have the technology to network the lights, doors, sprinklers, security devices and management systems all on one building network. There's one network here that handles IP video surveillance, lighting, HVAC [heating, ventilation, air-conditioning], digital signage and music. This technology will gain traction when the business case can be translated into hard dollars in cost savings to improve operational efficiencies, savings per square foot and increase returns. Once “smart building technology” becomes mainstream and investors can easily calculate yield improvement or increases in net operation incomes by use of this technology, will it begin to take off. The market is truly open game and untapped. VAR Business, Sep 2006