Control Network Newsletter
2023 Year in Review
2023 provided a welcome return to some normality. With travel restrictions lifting, it's been good to meet in-person with colleagues, suppliers, and customers. I visited our subsidiary in China for the first time in four years and attended the Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology (SIBT) show in Shanghai where we were displaying our EnOcean to BACnet gateway in the EnOcean Alliance stand. While in the UK, I assisted my UK colleagues at the Smart Buildings Show, and I attended the Niagara Forum in London. In Germany, I met with colleagues and customers at the ISH show in Frankfurt.
The shows I attended were not as large as they had been before the pandemic, but visitors and exhibitors were enthusiastic. We are getting many requests for more secure networks. Since building controls share the same network as the building system, equipment must adhere to the requirements of the building's IT department. Oftentimes, the systems integrators are surprised to learn at the jobsite that all connected devices must support Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security making installations and equipment selection more complex.
To address the increased security requirements, we were early participants with BACnet International's effort to rollout BACnet Secure Connect. At this year's Plugfest, we had favorable experience connecting our BACnet/SC router/hub with other members' BACnet/SC controllers and workstations.
We've also been focused on secure remote access to provide systems integrators the flexibility to monitor and maintain systems from offsite locations. We offer three different VPN solutions to meet your remote access needs, as well as video training support to help you implement secure remote access.
On the HVAC side, new energy standards in the U.S. have resulted in an increased interest in heat pumps. Our new BAST-321 Heat Pump Thermostats have been very popular thanks to this trend.
Optimizing the operation of a building and bringing all devices to a building management system (BMS) is a significant priority for the industry. We had continued interest in our BASgatewayLX Modbus to BACnet gateway to integrate boiler control, variable speed drives, and metering applications that lack BACnet compliance.
The industry continues to innovate around increased security requirements, new energy standards, and the optimization of existing systems. We look forward to working with you to provide the solutions to your automation needs.
— George Thomas