Cisco announces network building ‘mediator’

The networking giant delivers early on its promise to integrate proprietary BAS into its platform.

By Source: Greentech Media, eWeek.com July 2, 2009

Six months earlier than expected, Cisco Systems announced technology that can bring entire building energy management systems under its control, according to a report from Greentech Media . The new "network building mediator" connects HVAC, lighting, security, and other electricity-using building systems into its EnergyWise platform.

This announcement came at the Cisco Live event on July 1, where the company also announced the Smart Connected Buildings program, as part of their larger Smart+Connected Communities initiative, according to eWeek.com . Cisco’s building mediator can monitor and control commercial building energy use over IP networks and use automated demand-response to help save energy. This opens up the field of potential partners by integrating a host of different legacy protocols and translating them to internet protocol, so to speak, according to Marthin De Beer, senior vice president at Cisco’s emerging technology group.
Cisco anticipates that it will have more partners than competitors in this market, and is eager to work with companies in the field, De Beer said. Those include Echelon, Honeywell, Siemens, Eaton, and many others.