Networking systems increasingly integrated into facility design

Building control elements are increasingly being integrated with networking and other IT systems, adding a layer of control to facility management.

By Max Burkhalter
December 9, 2011
Fiber-optic cabling infrastructure, advanced copper wiring, server systems and other IT platforms are all rapidly emerging as popular parts of home, office and data center management platforms. These devices are connecting with HVAC, lighting, communications and security systems to create holistic building automation, monitoring and control mechanisms that can drive energy-efficient design and operation.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance reported that this trend toward unifying IT and facility design is creating an environment where building management needs to be integrated instead of kept in isolated silos. Otherwise, the disparate facilities maintenance and design teams that most businesses use will create significant inefficiencies because IT is enabling building elements that can communicate and work seamlessly with each other, making those silos unnecessary.

Essentially, a worker can now use a tablet to connect securely to a console server and use this connection to adjust lighting, temperature control, air quality and security systems within a building. Similar processes can be followed by management teams within the facility. Under such operational environments, the report explained that keeping facilities management in siloed groups creates inefficiencies because everything is now technologically connected.

Implementing an integrated approach to facility management, however, can drive sustainability and reduce operating expenses. All of this is accomplished without adding capital costs, since most contemporary building elements can be networked and connected to management platforms, according the the news source.

To integrate the disparate aspects of building maintenance and security, the report said facilities need to be equipped with data center and cabling infrastructure capable of handling the holistic management approach. Traditionally, each branch of the management team would handle its own systems. For example, the report said security officers would handle the video surveillance systems and corresponding monitoring technologies. This IT setup needs to be migrated to a central management location to support a more unified approach to management.

To establish the unified control and management platform that is needed to enable building automation and intelligent facility design, organizations need to setup a customizable control dashboard. A recent Automated Buildings report explained a building automation system coupled with a control reticule gives business access to detailed data about their facilities, allowing them to change conditions as needed and optimize operating efficiencies. This is integral to making the most out of an intelligent building program.

Perle’s wide range of 1 to 48 port Perle Console Servers provide data center managers and network administrators with secure remote management of any device with a serial console port. Plus, they are the only truly fault tolerant Console Servers on the market with the advanced security functionality needed to easily perform secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from anywhere in the world.

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