LAS VEGAS - IBM and Johnson Controls have announced a new partnership to help create smarter buildings. Together, the companies will team to provide a “Smart Building Solution” designed to improve operations and reduce energy and water consumption in buildings worldwide.

Building on an existing relationship formed between the two companies in 2007 to create energy efficient data centers, this new partnership is said to benefit any building or portfolio of buildings. Johnson Controls will combine its leadership in energy efficiency and sustainable services and technologies with IBM’s leadership in software, hardware, and services. The result, said the companies, will help clients address the growing pressure they face to improve energy and asset management performance across their enterprises.

“The integration of IBM Tivoli software and Johnson Controls’ building technology solutions provides complete information in order to make decisions that impact the bottom line,” said Clay Nesler, Johnson Controls’ vice president for Global Energy and Sustainability. “With our Smart Building Solution, energy and asset management is enhanced in new ways that optimize environmental performance and operational efficiencies across a single building or an entire portfolio of buildings.”

The companies said the key elements of the combined 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 is said to offer increased information on the performance of buildings 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 the potential to drive between 10 percent and 20 percent energy savings across an enterprise, according to the companies. The Johnson Controls’ Metasys® Sustainability Manager combined with IBM business analytics software is said to provide building owners, operators, and tenants with actionable information to help reduce energy consumption and waste.

•Enterprise Reporting:The Johnson Controls’ Energy and Emissions Management System, with IBM enterprise reporting capability, is designed to provide 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 are said to provide visibility across any building or building complex, driving between 10 percent and 20 percent improvement in space utilization. Under-used space can be identified and more efficient options defined, including footprint consolidation, divestiture, and relocation.

•Asset Management:The Johnson Controls Metasys® Building Management System integrated with the IBM Maximo asset management solution provides tools and services that deliver between 10 percent and 20 percent savings across enterprises, said the companies, by enabling visibility across a building portfolio, boosting the efficiency of facility operations, and improving occupant safety and comfort, use and lifecycle management.

“The Smart Building Solution from Johnson Controls and IBM will deliver the ability to optimize energy and environmental performance by integrating building, infrastructure, and enterprise systems,” said William Sawyer, vice president, Tivoli Maximo Operations, IBM Software Group. “This will provide our clients with advanced intelligence capabilities that will measurably improve building operations.”

For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or www.ibm.com/ibm/servicemanagement/index.html.

Publication date:03/15/2010