Smart Buildings - Taking Building Automation to the Next Level

For some, the term "building automation" may seem like a relatively new concept. In reality, building automation, as a working discipline, has been around for 30 years. The early 90's saw the advent of decentralized computers to provide digital monitoring and control of various elements within a building's environment. By the turn of the century many buildings were equipped with computers/controllers that could connect to the internet. These advances provided facility managers with the means to achieve greater control over many building parameters (temperature, lighting, access, security, etc.).