Johnson Controls has launched the OpenBlue suite of connected services. The open digital platform works with the company’s core building systems to make shared spaces safer, more agile and more sustainable.
 
Building systems must work together and communicate to be effective. OpenBlue was designed with agility, flexibility and scalability to enable buildings to become dynamic spaces. In leveraging the platform, users should be able to manage operations more systemically, delivering buildings that have memory, intelligence and identity. The platform infuses the suite with artificial intelligence (AI), combining data from both inside and outside of buildings.
 
“How we interact with our environments and how buildings and shared spaces are managed for safety and sustainability is top of mind everywhere, and now more than ever we recognise how complex these systems are,” said George Oliver, CEO of Johnson Controls. “Johnson Controls has been making buildings efficient and safe for 135 years and, this year, our obligation to deliver comprehensive, best in class to our customers has never been more important. The launch of OpenBlue reflects how we think buildings are evolving from inflexible assets to dynamic resources. As a result, this is a critical element of our business strategy, enabling us to lead customers around the world to the services required to transform their spaces for the future.”
 
By combining traditionally separate systems, OpenBlue will enable the connection of every part of a building to create possibilities for smarter, more efficient and sustainable spaces. Users will be able to:

• Respond with dynamic flexibility: Buildings can switch into different modes to address various critical situations. Modes can include management of building access, airflow, elevator movement, door locks, lighting and open collaboration, as well as other environmental and safety settings.
• Deploy Covid-19 protection: OpenBlue connects Johnson Controls products, technology and services to help users get back to work as safely and efficiently as possible. These services include contact tracing, social distance monitoring, thermal cameras, clean air, touchless environments, compliance and reporting management, energy optimisation, and safety monitoring.
• Select from tiered services: Tiered, AI-infused services deliver capabilities such as remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, risk assessments and compliance monitoring.
• Security: Users can access secure by design services. Each offering is developed with robust design protocols for security and privacy.
• Increase energy savings and improve indoor air quality (IAQ): By connecting HVAC equipment with data and AI, users of the platform can expect 20 to 60 per cent cost savings by optimising the performance of the full HVAC system across energy costs and IAQ parameters.

The platform brings together traditional operational technology, existing IT systems and cloud applications infused with AI and technology such as digital twins, enabling insight, integration and collaboration. It will let operating technologies seamlessly communicate and integrate across a broad range of systems.

“Connectivity is the key to making buildings work harder for us,” said Mike Ellis, executive vice president at Johnson Controls. “This new suite will enable previously unimaginable outcomes for our customers by connecting buildings to unique software capabilities, providing insight to deliver high customer value. We are partnering with a number of leading technology companies and thought leaders in various sectors to roll-out tailored solutions in the coming months.”

OpenBlue technology experts will lead workshops, webinars and insight sessions to help users reimagine the possibilities of built environments and map out capabilities for spaces and places.

“The launch of OpenBlue is a radical approach to dynamic spaces,” said Phil Clement, vice president and chief marketing officer at Johnson Controls. “The brand identity was created with a number of factors in mind. Open refers to an optimistic future and the platform’s open architecture to enable products to work with various systems. The colour blue is core to Johnson Controls branding for the past 135 years and gives a nod to our strong heritage in the buildings space.”

Johnson Controls is partnering with global Fortune 100 companies to bring together expertise with open data platforms, software applications and AI, core building systems, and smart edge devices. The technology ecosystem aims to deliver vision, while reimagining the future of workplaces, including hospitals, schools, stadiums and cities.