AutomatedBuildings.com Review

Every month there is a blizzard of information contained in the emails and newsletters that cross my desk on their way to AutomatedBuildings.com. Some of this information is not in the form of any type of content we can publish but I feel I should share with you these snippets, blog bits, and url links that are about to fall off my desktop.

BACnet International followers now benefit from a new electronic monthly publication called Cornerstones. This publication will go to members of the BACnet community, connecting corporate, integrator, site, student and individual end-users (current distribution list over 1,800). Cornerstones is a unique publication in that we speak not only to engineering and contractor communities, but also to the facility professionals, managers, owners and beyond.

This is where you come in. Connect.
If there is a best practice article, company news, product news or BACnet Success Stories you want to share, please send them to us. And don't leave out the photos! All submissions should be sent to info@bacnetinternational.org
http://bacnetinternational.org

Products of Interest from Niagara Summit

By Bill Lydon - Editor

The Niagara Summit was held in May 2010 and is an event where the Niagara Community and industry professionals come together to exchange and share experiences on building automation infra-structure technology, device-to-enterprise integration and find out about the latest advances on how devices integrate, connect and create interoperable environments.

This year’s summit featured over 30 partner companies displaying solutions that leverage Tridium system architectures. Here are some that caught my eye as particularly interesting.

The benefits of IP-based networked CCTV are significant compared to traditional analog systems. However, Barry Keepence, CTO of IndigoVision, explains that the real benefit of IP Video can only be realized if the solution is based on a truly distributed architecture.

This article discusses the serious scalability problems which arise when an IP-CCTV system is based on a Centralized Architecture and how a Distributed Architecture delivers a flexible and scalable solution than can lead to systems being deployed across sites, cities and countries.
http://www.indigovision.com/learnabout-videoarchitecture.php

Can The ICT “Arms Merchants” Come To Terms With The Internet of Things & People?

While the “Internet of Things” represents a market of vast potential, technology suppliers must be aware of the current industry dynamics if they are to successfully seize the opportunity. The leading IT and network “arms merchants” will all play important roles in the further evolution of information and communications technology and Smart Systems development but how will these players fair as the worlds of IT and communications technologies (ICT) continue to converge into a unified delivery platform? And how will they come to grips with “life on the edge” … The Internet of Sensors, Things and People?
http://www.harborresearch.com/HarborContent/Harbor%20Research%20-%20Smart%20Systems%20-%20ICT.pdf

Two Organizations Aim to Expand Integration Possibilities by Sabrina Gasulla , Associate Editor August 3, 2010

As the security industry evolves towards an IP mindset, manufacturers, integrators and even end users are starting to voice concerns over convergence and how to reconcile the specific needs of a particular installation with current interoperability limitations. As a response, two groups emerged back in 2008, ONVIF and the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA).

Though ONVIF and PSIA vary in approach and methodology, ultimately both organizations are working to create open standards that facilitate interoperability of physical security systems by developing and publishing specifications for manufacturers to implement on their products. These specifications establish a common “language” for products from different manufacturers to communicate and operate collectively across a network. Here’s a look at how both organizations are progressing towards their interoperability goals and creating opportunities for integrators to “get an edge.”
http://www.sdmmag.com/Articles/tsinews/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000875394

Berg Insight says worldwide installed base of smart electricity meters will reach 302.5 million units in 2015

Gothenburg, Sweden – August 10, 2010: New research from the analyst firm Berg Insight says that the worldwide installed base of smart electricity meters will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 31.1 percent between 2009 and 2015 to reach 302.5 million at the end of the period. During the next five years, penetration rates for smart metering technology are projected to increase from around 15–20 percent today to nearly 50 percent in Europe and North America, while Asia-Pacific is projected to soar from less than 1 percent to 25 percent by 2015. By the mid-2010s, the majority of all electricity meters shipped in the world’s leading economies is expected to have advanced functionalities and networking capabilities. Berg Insight anticipates that growth will continue in the second half of this decade, with many markets approaching 100 percent penetration by 2020.

Are we over-promising Smart Grid benefits to consumers?
Interesting article about Smart Grid implementation in Germany and the costs/benefits to consumers. Article describes how consumer costs are greater than benefits in the short-term with potential long-term benefit that will take years to trickle down to electricity customers. Writer points to a clear communications challenge by stating that this "reality should be reflected in the communications about the smart grid advantages" to electricity customers.
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=27276158&gid=2911057&trk=EML_anet_qa_ttle-cDhOon0JumNFomgJt7dBpSBA

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Craig Johnson, ClimateTalk Alliance President

It has been eight months since the ClimateTalk Alliance launched at the Greenbuild Expo, last November, our goal: to establish the standard for communications between HVAC and smart energy devices in the home. ClimateTalk was developed to provide a common information model for the devices responsible for over 60% of home energy use. There is no other open communications protocol or industry group today that is focused on solving interoperability specifically for residential HVAC equipment. For this reason, ClimateTalk has made significant gains to reach our objective.

Membership has grown to 22 members to include key players in the HVAC, water heater and zoning ecosystem, we have created the Steering Committees and Working Groups to move our efforts forward. Our marketing activities have achieved recognition for ClimateTalk in the industry among key organizations in the Smart Grid and HVAC arenas.

In Q2, our Architecture Steering Committee formed Working Groups to bring members together to work on the next generation of ClimateTalk specifications and include the Wireless Working Group, CIM Working Group, CT-485, CT-LWP and the Smart Grid Working Groups. These Working Groups have been meeting regularly and are focused on getting new applications and connectivity methods to the market.

We look forward to the next six months of alliance activities further advancing the specification, certification and marketing objectives through the efforts of our membership.
http://www.climatetalkalliance.org/Join/JointheAlliance/tabid/323/Default.aspx

DAILY RFID has released the latest RFID Development Kit for patient tracking. The RFID patient management kit provides a smart combination of passive RFID wristbands, PDA handheld reader, desktop HF reader and necessary software.

The RFID Kit provides all automatic data capture for patient tracking in real time. With embedded RFID chips, the waterproof, non-allergic wristband enables patient information to be stored and transferred. Desktop HF reader and handheld reader are used for wristband information collection and transfer according to different places.

This RFID patient tracking solution is specifically for the purpose of avoiding patients being wrongly identified and given the wrong surgical procedures. It provides efficient management ways to save and improve lives. Besides, it ensures that the correct drug is being administered to the correct patient in the correct dosage at the correct time.

The RFID patient tracking system simplifies data input and reduces errors in data processing. By integrating the RFID Kit into hospital system, it can cut the cost of hospital patient management, while giving patient more privacy.

Please visit http://www.rfid-in-china.com/products_663_1.html for more information about RFID kit for RFID patient tracking.

At the recent Realcomm 2010 conference in Las Vegas, a Dubai software firm named Pacific Controls revealed it had beaten Cisco to the punch in creating the world’s first “smart city” by connecting 20,000 of those buildings – including the world’s largest mall and largest building – to a cloud-based platform capable of controlling each remotely. Using its software to track and fine-tune electricity usage in nearly half of these buildings (some 9,000 in all), Pacific Controls has managed to cut their power bills by 20% -- and is willing to do the same for any building in any city in the world.
http://www.realcomm.com/advisoryweb.asp?aid=438

FST21 introduces SafeRise™ system

Led by General Farkash, former head of Military Intelligence for the Israeli Army, FST21 develops biometric solutions with the release of the new multi-factor system called SafeRise™ that is designed as a physical access control for high-rise office, multifamily, multi-tenant, governmental buildings, campus environments, airports, hospitals and more where security and intrusion prevention are paramount.

SafeRise™ utilizes facial, voice and behavioral biometrics to authenticate a user’s identity and determine whether or not the individual is cleared for access to the area protected by the system.

The system differentiator from other biometric access control systems is the Technology Fusion of both hardware and software utilizing a variety of metrics to assess a user’s walk, talk, look, vehicle, voice patterns and stress levels to help determine whether or not the individual should be allowed past the security checkpoint.

Please take a few moments to peruse the attached information and view the videos below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ2ja5dKqxg&feature=related

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