Cisco has announced a new enhancement and enablement for Smart Buildings: the Catalyst Digital Building Series Switch. The company says it is the IoT industry’s first purpose-built switch for digital buildings, and it is designed to power and connect siloed building systems onto a single, low-voltage IP network. It lays the foundation (pardon the pun) for a smart building vision that Cisco is defining with its ecosystem partners.
The switch supports CoAP protocols, which allows for convergence and interoperability of disparate building systems like lighting, HVAC, and security badges. It also extends Cisco’s Digital Network Architecture (DNA) to digital buildings so that device auto-profiling, auto-segmentation, and access policy enforcement will enable higher security and automation for IoT devices. Its 60W per-port Cisco UPOE technology delivers twice the power of current PoE+ and drives higher luminosity for bigger, brighter lighting fixtures. For installation, the Bluetooth-enabled switch controlled through a mobile app is easy to use and install to simplify deployment for IT and OT personnel.
When Sinclair Holdings, a Texas-based property management firm, decided to remodel its Art Deco office building in Texas, the company turned to Cisco to improve the digital experience for guests and increase energy efficiency. The new Marriot Autograph Collection Hotel is scheduled to be completed in summer 2017, and will feature automatic blinds, and temperature and lighting controls.
“The Catalyst Digital Building Series Switch allows us to converge disparate building systems onto a single IP platform,” said Farukh Aslam, Sinclair Holdings. “We can now establish digital competencies for tomorrow’s hospitality industry. As one of the world’s largest hospitality brands, this allows Marriott to enjoy real-time analytics and reduce energy costs. It also offers our business travelers and unique destination vacationers an authentic, enhanced boutique experience.”
Alpiq in Tec, Switzerland’s leader in building technology and facility management, wanted to remodel with the goal of creating a better employee experience and lowering labor costs, while useing automation and analytics to drive a more effective facility. Cisco integrated occupancy, lighting, and environmental data to prevent power outages and improve power efficiency to 90 percent, while increasing system life reliability to 10-plus years.
“As far as convergence of IoT devices in a building, this product leap-frogs a generation of innovation,” said Sachin Gupta, VP Enterprise Switching at Cisco. “It brings new IoT protocol integration, automation and enterprise security by extending the Digital Network Architecture to digital buildings. Cisco is proud to continue providing industry-leading innovation to customers like Sinclair Holdings.”
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
