Since the 2000s, our buildings have been equipped with traditional building management systems or more commonly called BMS for Building Management Systems. With often inadequate and obsolete management interfaces, these systems are criticized because they complicate manager operations. Similarly, specialized knowledge of their technologies, programming or computing is sometimes necessary for their use. It must be noted that these systems, although based on open communication protocols, tend to resemble so-called "proprietary" protocols. The supplier and manager then become "inseparable" and the latter's autonomy seems threatened.
The question of implementing new management and control systems then becomes relevant. And it's often the BOS, or Building Operating System, that's called to the battlefield as a direct competitor to BMS.
So how can BOS transform these systems? Is it intended to replace BMS?
For buildings equipped with building technical management, no. Despite the fact that traditional building management systems are behind on interoperability subjects (especially with new IoT technologies), the Building OS will interface with them. The BOS thus fully plays its interoperability role.
Sure, BMS has certain constraints but it's operational for automating management of all technical installations and equipment such as heating, air conditioning, electricity, elevators, access controls etc.
But where BMS will collect data from building management, the BOS as an open scalable platform will go further. It will abolish different silos to collect data from both BMS/BAS, IoT sensors or other systems, on a central instance. It will be able to process, structure and enhance them to expose them to any application that would need them. Furthermore, where with BMS it's difficult and expensive to integrate new equipment, the BOS will be able to integrate them easily, regardless of supplier or protocol.
BMS have therefore proven themselves in technical management of traditional equipment, but it becomes imperative to implement a central instance, a BOS, capable of collecting and exposing all building data.
Why increase costs with two intermediaries between services and building infrastructure? Why not be satisfied with a single intermediary?
Today it's still necessary to add an intermediary between equipment and BOS because it's this same intermediary (BMS, controller, actuator, IoT controller,...) that will enable connection with the BOS.
In our BOS conception, adding an intermediary between building equipment and services doesn't involve additional costs because connection with a BOS, notably the Sensinov BOS, doesn't require reprogramming the BMS or any other technical system thanks to interoperability.
On the contrary, the BOS encourages interactions between systems because interoperability offers current systems the ability to work with other existing or future systems without limits. An installed BMS is capable of working with new IoT sensors, freshly installed, without impacting the rest of the infrastructure. For example, an IoT presence sensor can now trigger a command at the air conditioning system level controlled by the BMS.
Conclusion
The Building Operating System will therefore operate above the BMS and other field equipment to give them new life. BMS enriched with BOS will finally be able to interface with IoT equipment, facilitate manager work and improve occupant daily life and comfort.
Sensinov offers you to apply your own strategy to your buildings. Our solutions meet the challenges of openness, interoperability and are 100% in line with new standards (R2S Label, BACS decree, tertiary decree). The Sensinov BOS supports building professionals in their daily activities on several subjects including Hypervision and building supervision, equipment control and energy consumption optimization.
