TRUE PRESENCE IP RECESSED

IP has superior network layer hardware, software and data throughput (whether wired or wireless) with decades of tech industry development. All the benefits of a multi-vendor ecosystem persist. Protocols like MQTT and end to end encryption enable the IoT promise, zero-trust security, analytics and data-lakes.

IP device availability is growing strongly, albeit off a low base. The ability to mix topologies and bridge between traditional bus architecture like KNX and IP-based POE devices enables a risk mitigated future-proof solution. Being able to take advantage of the traditional richness of the ecosystem of products (BACNet, DALI, KNX), with a future architecture in place, means the speed of the transition is neutralised.

IP should not be viewed as either/or, rather as both/and.

A final consideration is that there are many more IT engineers than building services engineers which means skills will be more readily available in future.