The Internet of Things (IoT) revolution means nearly everything is now finding a connection to the Internet. For example, you’re using the IoT when you manage your home’s temperature from an app on your smartphone. While there are numerous IoT services and systems out there, we’re going to discuss the functionality of Telemetry by Harris, the solution we offer for better building management.

Let’s kick off with a common question. “Why do I need something like this if I’ve already got a robust Building Automation System?” Because a typical BAS doesn’t communicate all the data it collects. Most is locked inside your building, robbing you of valuable context clues about how your building is performing, and impacting how intelligently you and your vendors can respond to that information.

Put simply, if we think of a good Building Automation System as a brain in the most fundamental, animal sense (control the body, react to stimuli), then Telemetry (or another IoT product) is like a brain in today’s human being. This brain is capable of asking itself, “why is this not working” and “where is the issue?” It can recognize patterns, identify discrepancies and analyze raw data.

Data that is analyzed becomes information.

Information is actionable.

When you have context for every red light, low read or malfunction, your contractors can do more work before rolling a truck to your location, including determining whether a truck roll is necessary at all. Furthermore, upon arriving on site, service technicians are more likely to know where to go and what to look for, resulting in quicker time to discover and resolve an issue. With automated analytics running 24/7/365, things don’t get glanced over after hours. No more paying extra for “just in case.” It’s time to pay for what you need when it’s needed.

Access is unparalleled with products like these. You can manage schedules, see issues, run reports and much more from anywhere.

Speaking of those relevant applications, the perfect partner to any IoT solution is making sure your vendors are using open systems rather than proprietary monoliths. When open systems with many pieces play ball with each other, it’s easier for a system like Telemetry to bring them all to you through a single pane of glass, putting an end to having to open a new tab for every system from every vendor providing services to your building.

In today’s world, your best ally might just be your building, but you can only guarantee great results by being well informed. Have robust conversations with your contractor(s), don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and be ferocious in researching information about today’s emerging IoT and open system technologies.