INTRODUCTION
Intelligent device networking has become a fertile meeting ground for a wide range of different industries and companies. Despite perennial predictions heralding an era of fully automated “smart building” as the next big thing, for practical purposes, the prospect of intelligently networked devices, until very recently, has remained a geek fantasy. Intriguing as the notion remains, for decades reality has lagged behind promise, as manufacturers and vendors struggle (often at crosspurposes) to put enabling, foundational technologies into place.
Several developments have made intelligent device networking a true ready-forprimetime technology. Among them, the industry has moved into an age of post proprietary standards including a home automation standard (CeBus) and two protocols for building controls and automation (BacNet and LonTalk). These, and other developments, are making open integrating architectures, and the ability to apply them on a mass scale across many system suppliers, becomes a realistic possibility for the first time.
This BCC study delineates the most critical developments in intelligent device and device networking technologies over the past several years, tracing the history of the field as well as reporting on the current state of the art. It examines the near-term commercial opportunities and challenges of several different technologies and products as well as future trends for smart device, and networking expenditures through 2009.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The report contains:
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES
Preparation of this report involved in-depth study and critical analyses of published data from a wide variety of government and private sources. Industry projections have been made by BCC based on original studies of economic, social and technological trends, as well as a critical examination of projections made by industry and other public sources.
