SINCLAIR: So, this month, Lynxspring marks a major milestone, your 20th year anniversary. Tell me about it.
PETOCK: Yes, it does. And we are extremely excited about it. If there’s a consistent lesson, we’ve learned during these years it’s this: If you develop and offer solutions and services that matter and make a difference, and deliver the assistance and support behind them, users will come—and that is exactly what we’ve been doing for the last 20 years. What matters is derived from customers and team member’s level of willingness to engage. When you build something that matters, it has substance and sustainability. It also has resiliency and scalability, containing enough value that people want to be part of it.
SINCLAIR: During these 20 years, Lynxspring has achieved several individual milestones. What are some of the ones that standout for you?
PETOCK: For me there are several. I will share my top six. They are:
#1 The decision right from our start to embrace the Niagara Framework® and make it a central part of the company’s products, solutions, and services.
#2 2005, the market release of our first branded Lynxspring JENEsys® controller at the ASHRAE/AHR show.
#3 2014, industry recognition from Frost & Sullivan for Customer Value Leadership which in turn, has led to additional recognition from them in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
#4 2015, the unveiling of our E2E (Edge-to-Enterprise) strategy for simplifying connectivity, integration, interoperability, and data exchange at the edge and to the cloud.
#5 2017, our release of the industry’s first IP, Niagara-ported solution–the JENEsys Edge® 534 IP Controller which now, has led to a comprehensive portfolio of Niagara IP controllers for building, equipment, plant, unitary, and device applications.
#6 2020, releasing the first Horizontal Niagara IP Edge Architecture and topology
For a cumulative look at our milestones over the last 20 years, go here:
Lynxspring’s Timeline. 20 Years in the Making
SINCLAIR: Speaking of Niagara, what is Lynxspring doing with the framework?
PETOCK: As I mentioned, we have made it central to what we do and offer for the last 20 years. In 2017, we were the first to take the framework and port it to another controller other than a JACE. Since then, we have continued to expand this concept to now include a portfolio of Niagara built JENEsys Edge IP controllers, ECA’s (Edge Centric Applications) and the Niagara IP Edge Architecture.
SINCLAIR: How has the company changed over the years?
PETOCK: As the industry continued to evolve and present itself with new challenges and requirements so have, we. In 2019 we moved into a new corporate HQ with expanded manufacturing capabilities, we are continually increasing our headcount and expanding our solution and services offerings. However, one thing has been consistent of the years, is our focus to connect, communicate, and integrate across the built and equipment environments and to deliver outcomes that help companies achieve wins that provide measurable results.
SINCLAIR: How has the industry and the built environment changed over the 20 years?
PETOCK: I would start with how the conversations and value propositions have changed. These have been influenced by a number of things. Some have been the move from proprietary to open; the influence of digital transformation; COVID-19; the rebirth of decarbonization, and environmental sustainability; the role of data and its place now within our space; cybersecurity; and convergence of not only OT and IT but also now, convergence of the traditional operational side with that of the new workplace side.
In addition, I would add the transformation of the building platform and how it has changed. We have gone from a Building Automation Platform which controlled and monitored a building’s mechanical and electrical equipment such as HVAC, lighting, to the Building Integration Platform which acted as a front-end and protocol translator and coordinated the operation of various systems, equipment, applications, and services. We then moved to the Building Operating Platform which connected, integrated, and correlated data from equipment, systems and devices, and enabled operators to adopt a converged and common network to achieve automation, integration, energy, and operational efficiencies. And today, it is a Building Engagement Platform that combines previous platform generations on a flattened, secured IP horizontal architecture with the touchpoints, tools, ingestion of real-time data streams and workplace applications.
SINCLAIR: Do you have any general advice for other companies that might help them achieve a 20-year milestone?
PETOCK: First, I believe having passionate, dedicated people and the products, solutions, services, and support to meet the ever-changing needs of the market and customer requirements is paramount to making any company successful in the long-term. Second, be agile enough to change with the times and operating with a continuous improvement mind-set. And third, think ahead and continuously deliver on your promise to develop solutions which connect, communicate, and integrate across the built and equipment environments and be committed to excellence and strong client relationships.
SINCLAIR: What’s next?
PETOCK: We are always spending a lot of time thinking about what’s next—and the impact we intend to create over the next few years and beyond. Long-term it remains our “horizon-to-edge-to-enterprise” strategy combined with a continuous roadmap of developing and supporting open technology, open solutions, and services that make buildings and equipment smarter. This roadmap accelerates the convergence and integration of operational and workplace experiences through hardware, software, applications, and tools via an IP, horizontal architecture.
SINCLAIR: Any final comments?
PETOCK: As we reflect on what we’ve done over these last 20 years, and we commit to a very bright future, we cannot help but think about building and doing what matters is not easy work. It is challenging and never ending. And we’re not done yet!
To all who have been on this journey with us we thank you for your continued business and support. To those who have not yet, come on!
