Innovation Hits Breakneck Speed In The Edge Analytics Market For Buildings

Innovation Hits Breakneck Speed In The Edge Analytics Market For Buildings

The explosion of data from the built environment is driving the need for firms to process and analyse data at the facility level. As sensors, smart devices and IP-connected building systems produce growing volumes of data, facility managers are turning to edge computing and analytics to reduce the amount of data sent to the cloud and avoid bottlenecks from internet bandwidth. These trends are spurring new innovations across edge solutions for the built environment, with technology vendors making new advances that aid the easier and faster processing of IoT data locally.

One breakthrough innovation comes from Rigado; on January 31, 2022, the vendor announced the launch of a software-only version of its Edge Connect platform. This new solution enables firms to deploy low power wireless sensor networks more easily, drawing on existing infrastructure across buildings, retail sites, hospitality and healthcare. The innovation comes from the fact firms no longer require dedicated hardware gateways to enable wireless sensor connectivity. The software enables WiFi access points to be used as Bluetooth or Wirepas gateways. This helps buyers reduce capital expenditure when rolling out sensors and IoT projects in buildings.

Another interesting move comes from Johnson Controls, which recently announced it had acquired FogHorn, a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) and edge software for industrial and commercial IoT applications. Johnson Controls will integrate Foghorn’s Edge AI platform throughout its broader OpenBlue product line of smart building solutions. This move will mean OpenBlue customers can benefit from intelligence at the edge-device level for faster insights and more responsive control strategies.

As well as innovation from technology vendors, buyers are also getting increasingly interested in edge technology for buildings. In the Verdantix 2020 global corporate survey for smart buildings, 45% of real estate and facilities executives rated edge computing as a significant or very significant digital innovation in the next two years. Then in our 2021 survey, 23% of corporate facilities executives told us they plan to adopt edge computing technology over the next two years to process data locally. With mounting buyer interest, we expect an arms race for edge analytics capabilities will emerge amongst established building technology vendors, driving further M&A and product investment.

For more insights on the future of the smart building market, read our latest report 10 Predictions For Smart Building Technology In 2022 And Beyond.