About the author
Aaron Tunnicliff is Head of Pre-sales and Engineering at Ideal, helping customers of all sizes to choose the right technological solutions for their current and future needs.
Moving towards a smarter, data-driven workplace
It all starts with your network
Smart Building capability is not exclusive to shiny new builds. If you want to create a better working environment as part of a retrofit plan, start with your network, argues Aaron Tunnicliff, Head of Pre-sales and Engineering at Ideal.
Where is your workplace currently sitting?
“If your vision is for a data-driven Future-Proofed Workplace where the office environment is optimised for occupancy comfort and efficiency and your people can securely work and collaborate from anywhere – you need to take the journey towards Smart.
“When Liz Helyer, Smart Buildings Solution Engineer at Cisco presented the Smart Building Maturity Model at Cisco Live! in Amsterdam, I realised that the same journey is equally as applicable to retro-fitting current spaces as it is to creating new ones.
“Where do you sit on the graph?
“Today, we find most organisations are still sitting at Stage 2 – ‘Managed’. That typically means:
✔ Smart tech deployed
✔ Multiple platforms live
❌ Still largely siloed
❌ Limited actionable intelligence
“How do you move you up the curve?”
Taking the step to Converged
“While everyone wants to be at Stage 4 – Data-Driven (and ultimately Autonomous), the reality is that the next step has to be Stage 3 — Converged.
“This is exactly where we focus at Ideal — bringing together IT, OT and IoT networks and the data they generate so that your workspace starts operating intelligently, not just digitally.
“A Converged Network System (CNS) enables this. By integrating your building management systems with Internet of Things devices like automated blinds and data and trends about occupancy and usage, your workspace can become adaptable to real needs and usage.
“This approach also makes it easier to apply modern cyber security solutions and drive towards more sustainable operations. Managed Services can proactively avoid interruptions, monitor enterprise-wide performance and surface invaluable insights.”
Evolving to Data-Driven and beyond…
“Ultimately. convergence isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about data convergence too.
“That’s where our (IRB) framework comes in — layering meaningful data onto a converged network so automation decisions are based on trusted, contextual insight.
“This enables:
👉 Connected data
👉 Context-rich insights
👉 Trusted inputs for automation
“Now you have a workspace where the blinds on the south side of the building automatically deploy because it knows the sun is brutal today. Where a meeting room refreshes air before 20 people join for an 11am meeting and again when they leave. Or turn it off if the meeting gets cancelled. Where collaboration monitoring enables you to reconfigure the size and availability of spaces to meet known demand.
“Now you have the intelligence you need to run a more efficient, comfortable and sustainable building for everyone.”
#1in Smart Buildings
Ideal is the UK’s #1 Converged Network System expert with vast experience across 40+ Smart Buildings (and counting).
360Preferred Partner
Ideal has been awarded Cisco 360 Preferred Partner Status and is recognised as an expert in 3X Powered Services.
Ideal has become a partner in the Lister Alliance, which is bringing together NHS Trusts, practitioners, industry and academia to reshape the future of healthcare technology and create better outcomes for patients.
