IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), today announced a new relationship to create a new era of smarter buildings. Together, the companies will team to provide a Smart Building Solution that can improve operations and reduce energy and water consumption in buildings worldwide including the Middle East.
Building on an existing relationship formed between the two organizations in 2007 to create energy efficient datacenters, this new offering benefits any building or portfolio of buildings. Johnson Controls will combine its global leadership in energy efficiency and sustainable services and technologies with IBM’s global leadership in software, hardware and services. The result will help clients address the growing pressure they face to improve energy and asset management performance across their enterprises.
“The integration of IBM Tivoli software and Johnson Controls’ building technology solutions provides complete information in order to make decisions that impact the bottom line,” said Magdy Mekky, Vice President and Managing Director, Middle East for Johnson Controls. “With our Smart Building Solution, energy and asset management is enhanced in new ways that optimize environmental performance and operational efficiencies across a single building or an entire portfolio of buildings.”
“We can help businesses reduce energy and utility consumption and the associated costs between 15 percent and 50 percent. With the help of Johnson Controls technology - developers and other organizations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the GCC in general, can get a clear and accurate picture of their facilities that are running over or under budget whether it is for a new or an existing building. End users can identify energy intensive applications and the amounts being spent on repairs and maintenance building by building on a real time basis. They can also see where they have opportunities to reduce costs and be more profitable,” added Mekky.
According to a report published by the US Green Buildings Council, a green building on an average saves 70 per cent electricity, 50 to 60 per cent of water and 36 per cent of energy in the US as compared to standard buildings. With the recent economic downturn, building owners are more interested in making their facilities more energy efficient to save money and decrease operating costs.
“The Smart Building Solution from Johnson Controls and IBM will deliver the ability to optimize energy and environmental performance by integrating building, infrastructure, and enterprise systems,” said William Sawyer, Vice President, Tivoli Maximo Operations, IBM Software Group. “This will provide our clients with advanced intelligence capabilities that will measurably improve building operations.”
The Johnson Controls Metasys Building Management System integrated with the IBM Maximo asset management solution provides tools and services that deliver between 10% and 20% savings across enterprises by enabling visibility across a building portfolio, boosting the efficiency of facility operations, and improving occupant safety and comfort, use and lifecycle management.
Key elements of the offering are designed to address critical building performance areas including systems integration, energy management, enterprise reporting, space utilization, and asset management.
• Systems Integration: The integration of building systems, business systems and smart grid technologies using Johnson Controls’ EnNet and IBM software offers increased information on the performance of buildings to reduce operating costs and keep occupants safe, comfortable and productive.
• Energy Management: Energy management offerings that use energy waste detection, reporting, and intelligent control capabilities have proven potential to drive between 10% and 20% energy savings across an enterprise. The Johnson Controls Metasys Sustainability Manager combined with IBM business analytics software provide building owners, operators and tenants with actionable information to help reduce energy consumption and waste.
• Enterprise Reporting: The Johnson Controls’ Energy and Emissions Management System, with IBM enterprise reporting capability provides organizations with the capability to calculate greenhouse gas levels by measuring, managing and forecasting activities related to energy cost, consumption, energy efficiency projects, fleet emissions, and waste.
• Space Optimization: Johnson Controls’ Visible Living Lab tools and services combined with IBM building space management solutions and advanced analytics provide visibility across any building or building complex, driving between 10% and 20% improvement in space utilization. Under-used space can be identified and more efficient options defined, including footprint consolidation, divestiture and relocation.
Core solution components include IBM Tivoli Monitoring for Energy Management, IBM Business Services Manager, and IBM Maximo Asset Management, IBM Maximo Asset Management for Energy Optimization; and Johnson Controls’ Metasys Building Management Solution, Metasys Sustainability Manager, Energy and Emissions Management System, EnNEt middleware, Visual Living Lab and Technology Contracting services.
