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IBM and Johnson Controls Join Forces

Feb. 26, 2010
IBM and Johnson Controls have announced a new relationship to create 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. ...

IBM and Johnson Controls have announced a new relationship to create 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.

Building on an existing relationship formed between the two organizations in 2007 to create energy-efficient data centers, this new offering can benefit a building or portfolio of buildings. Johnson Controls will combine its knowledge in energy efficiency and sustainable services/technologies with IBM's knowledge 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.

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 building performance 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-percent 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: 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-percent improvement in space utilization. Under-used space can be identified and more efficient options defined, including footprint consolidation, divestiture, and relocation.

• 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-percent savings across enterprises by enabling visibility across a building portfolio, boosting the efficiency of facility operations, and improving occupant safety and comfort, use, and life-cycle management.

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.