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Cisco Pushes Beyond the Edge
Cisco Pushes Beyond the Edge
By Bill Lydon - Contributing Editor
Potential to ignite biggest Building Automation industry structural change since DDC...
Cisco's non-residential building strategy continues to unfold pushing beyond the edge of the network infrastructure into building systems. In 2006, I wrote my thoughts on how Cisco’s Connected Real-estate strategy could impact the Building Automation industry - by positioning itself into the new construction and major retrofit design process as the network expert to define network design for all functions including data, VOIP, BAS, Fire, and Security.
In Cisco’s Connected Real Estate Overview the goal is clear: "By converging disparate systems over a single building information network, the Cisco Connected Real Estate solution offers stakeholders proven benefits that will help transform their organization, improve business processes, and enhance real estate value." View Complete Document
Cisco Announcements
The week of AHR 2009 Cisco announced two more steps in the strategy.
Acquisition Positions Cisco in Building Automation Industry
Cisco announced its purchase of Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence, Inc. on the second day of AHR 2009. Richards-Zeta's technologies will support Cisco initiatives such as Connected Real Estate and EnergyWise. Cisco's move into applications connected to the network infrastructure seems out of character, but it is a growth oriented move. In a recent presentation, John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, talked about how EnergyWise will change business models. I think this is the big message for the Building Automation industry to ponder.
Cisco views Richards-Zeta's intelligent middleware as a means to bridge building systems in the business side of organizations to achieve more effective management of energy consumption. The Richards-Zeta acquisition fits the Cisco's "build, buy and partner" business strategy to move quickly into new markets and capture key market transitions.
Rob Salvagno, Senior Director, Business Development, talks about Cisco's acquisition of Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence on YouTube:
Rob Salvagno, Senior Director, Business Development, does a whiteboard session on how the technology of new acquisition Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence works. January 27, 2009 on YouTube:
EnergyWise
On January 27, 2009 in Barcelona Spain, Cisco introduced the EnergyWise technology for Cisco Catalyst® switches that measures, reports and reduces the energy consumption of Internet Protocol (IP) devices such as phones, laptops and access points. Cisco also announced industry partner solutions along with the Richard-Zeta acquisition that will ultimately enable the management of power consumption for entire building systems such as lights, elevators, air conditioning and heating.
Big Play...New Business Model, Game Changer?
EnergyWise is the “big play,” it is a new Cisco energy management architecture that will allow IT operations and facilities to measure and fine-tune power usage to realize significant cost savings.
EnergyWise focuses on reducing power utilization on all devices connected to a Cisco network.
It uses an intelligent network-based approach, allowing IT and building facilities operations to understand, optimize, and control power across an entire corporate infrastructure, potentially affecting any powered device.
EnergyWise Overview
EnergyWise is based on an API still in development using standard and Cisco proprietary protocols. In Q2 2009, Cisco will publish a software developer kit (SDK) to let third parties tap into the code. It has not determined yet whether it will charge for the SDK or whether it will openly publish the API.
Cisco EnergyWise will roll out in three phases to improve IT and building system energy utilization:
In the first phase (February 2009), Network Control, Cisco EnergyWise will be supported on Catalyst switches and manage the energy consumption of IP devices such as phones, video surveillance cameras and wireless access points.
In the next phase (Summer 2009), IT Control, there will be expanded industry support of EnergyWise on devices such as personal computers (PCs), laptops and printers.
In the final phase (Early 2010), Building Control, Cisco EnergyWise will be extended to the management of building system assets such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), elevators, lights, employee badge access systems, fire alarm systems and security systems.
John Chambers, Chairman & CEO CISCO
In a recent video presentation, John chambers discusses EnergyWise and notes that it is about “innovation and changing business models” that brings big results to the bottom line.
Potential to ignite biggest Building Automation industry structural change since DDC...? Please send me your thoughts.