AutomatedBuildings.com Interview

March 2011
Interview
AutomatedBuildings.com

Babel Buster Network Gateways: Big Features. Small Price.
Control Solutions, Inc. - Minnesota
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Robert Wallace EMAIL INTERVIEW - Bob Wallace & Ken Sinclair

Robert Wallace, CEO, Building Clouds, LLC
bob@buildingclouds.com

Bob began his technical building automation career with JCI 1980. From mini-computers to “wash tub” size hard drives to the first PC Bob was “sold” on automation technology. Thirty one years later after beginning his career with JCI, starting and running a controls department for a nation wide mechanical contracting company for four years and then starting and running a successful building automation system integration company for over eighteen years it was time to look at developing or purchasing a software building automation product. Bob and his partner founded Building Clouds and with the successful asset purchase of the IPR and IT of the software previously know as Plexus Altitude the Building Clouds team, now including the core developers of Altitude, went to work correcting and enhancing the product with a new look, solid core, new services and a new name. Opendiem, a new day!

Now Building Clouds offers a full featured web based, cost effective OPEN-MULTI-VENDOR-SYSTEM connectivity solution for all markets. Simple – Powerful –Connectable.

Building Clouds?
Building Cloud's ownership is made up of industry professionals who have been involved in systems integration, building automation and facilities management for over 75 years.

Sinclair: Now Plexus Altitude is known as Opendiem. How did that transition take place?

Wallace: In September of 2010 we received word of an asset sale of the IPR and IT of the Altitude Software Suite. We realized the power of this robust open protocol platform and formed Building Clouds as a software development and licensing company to acquire and further develop the software's integration and energy savings capability for building management.

Sinclair: Who is Building Clouds?

Wallace: Building Cloud's ownership is made up of industry professionals who have been involved in systems integration, building automation and facilities management for over 75 years. Robert Wallace and Rick Costanza are joined by Dennis Esmonde-White and Franck Terray, previous Altitude software engineers and together they are currently developing the next generation of Building Clouds software. This strong ownership team will continue to refine and enhance the Opendiem suite of products and chart its and other products future direction.

Sinclair: Will Building Clouds support Altitude and or Pilot?

Wallace: Opendiem is designed to be easily and affordably upgraded from Altitude V3.x and V4.x thus ending the need to support or further develop these products. All existing file and project formats are compatible with Opendiem.

Sinclair: What types of enhancements have been made to Altitude in the new Opendiem offering?

Wallace: We had worked with Altitude as systems integrators since 2002. We realized what we liked and what we wanted to improve in the software and since the acquisition have spent thousands of man-hours on fixes, enhancements and additional developments.

Sinclair: What type of developments?

Wallace: While the enhancements to the core engine and core drivers are many readably visible enhancements are some of the new Services (drivers) and Web Service extensions.

The Weather Service and Web Service extension: Now you connect to a multitude of weather stations for current conditions for temperatures, wind, precipitation as well as individual days of a 5 day forecast. Opendiem can now make logical controldecisions based on weather to connected buildings anywhere in the world.
Universal OPC and XML-DA Service and Web Service extension: As a complement to the existing OPC service the U-OPC service supports DA1, DA2 and DA3 connectivity as well as direct connection to routers that support OPC XML-DA likethe Loytec LINX series. The U-OPC Web service can be loaded on to remote PCs for OPC server connectivity over WANs and the internet back to Opendiem.
Calculator Service: This new service can be used for a wide variety of Building Automation system functions such as: Comparing zone temperatures returning an average or the ability to output the high or low zone temperature, calculating andtracking kWh usage and energy costs from current sensors, (amps), Boolean logic, time, date and text functions and the ability to calculate flow data from velocity pressure readings to name a few.

Sinclair: What do you see as the future for Opendiem?

Wallace: The building automation market will grow substantially over the years as the need to bring older buildings up to new standards increases. Add to that the need to reduce energy consumption as utility prices increase and you have the need for a truly open integration tool such as Opendiem. Because Opendiem incorporates connectivity for traditional building system protocols that allows Opendiem to connect not only at the field device level but allows Opendiem to become the integrator of the existing automation systems as well as advanced lighting, security systems and digital signage.

Sinclair: How does one find out more about Opendiem?

Wallace: Interested parties can go to www.Opendiem.com. They can download the latest installer package. Contact us at sales@buildingclouds.com and we'll give you a serial number and a temporary demo license.

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