Siemens Smart Infrastructure presents Building X, a new solution for smart buildings that is open, interoperable, and entirely cloud-based. It is the first next-generation offering built on the design principles of Siemens Xcelerator, the open digital business platform presented today to accelerate digital transformation and value creation in industry, transportation, grids, and buildings.
Building X addresses the challenges of different stakeholders in the building lifecycle, including building occupants, investors, real estate companies, and facility managers, and acts as a "single source of truth" that eliminates complexity and supports decarbonization goals. Stakeholders can now digitally collect and use building data from different sources, trades, and systems on a single platform, Building X. Vendor-agnostic connectivity and open application programming interfaces (APIs) enable easy user experience and integration of existing software and ecosystems, including third-party applications. The solution offers modular applications based on AI (artificial intelligence) and integrated cybersecurity. Thanks to its open architecture and cloud technology, it also facilitates joint development of solutions with customers and partners to better respond to their challenges. This makes digital transformation easier, faster, and more scalable.
"Building X breaks down barriers. We can now combine all data generated by systems in smart buildings into a single data pool. This allows us to realize smart buildings faster and brings us closer to our vision of autonomous and climate-neutral buildings. Building X creates measurable data-based results regarding efficiency, performance, and user experience. In this way, Building X improves how we work and live in buildings," says Matthias Rebellius, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure. "We look forward to working with our customers and partners to develop Building X-based applications to accelerate innovation and sustainability in the industry."
Building X Suite currently comprises a series of digital applications and services tailored to different stakeholders and connected through an AI-based platform. Building X opens new opportunities for digitizing, managing, and optimizing building operations, adding value to both existing and new buildings. The applications cover key building management areas, including energy, security, and building operations, and are supported by powerful analytics. All applications provide users with a unique experience, intelligently bringing together relevant data to create customer value.
A true digital twin of building operations
Building X combines data from different sources into a digital twin of building operations, linking the real and digital worlds of buildings. Thanks to the virtual representation of a building, operators can remedy problems faster. Users benefit from the transparency created by Building X to make buildings more sustainable, improve their performance, and optimize user experience. This helps achieve better business results.
Growing number of applications
Building X applications are modular and based on the needs of different user groups to ensure that the right data is available to the right people. In addition to the option of creating applications together, a series of ready-to-use applications are available. This results in a user-oriented concept and workflow from a single interface ("single pane of glass"), where predefined dashboards and data visualization can be adapted to user needs. Currently, the offering includes four applications, with more to be added over time:
- Energy Manager tracks energy consumption, costs, and CO2 emissions of one or more buildings and enables early corrective action when necessary. It creates energy consumption forecasts based on historical data and supports users in achieving their sustainability goals, so they can realize climate-neutral buildings.
- Operations Manager enables real-time operation and monitoring of building systems and applications. It can monitor numerous sites from a single location and ensures rapid response to problems while reducing downtime. Thus, users benefit from greater business continuity and shorter response times.
- Security Manager enables operation and management of security systems through coherent and automated workflows. In this way, daily security tasks and incidents can be managed centrally and across systems.
- 360° Visualizer represents a site as a 3D virtual environment and provides indoor navigation that enables understanding of topology and installations.
SaaS and improving results through building services
Building X is delivered as a subscription-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) offering. Thanks to the SaaS model, stakeholders can access the software at any time and automatically have access to the latest features. In this way, changing requirements can be met throughout the entire lifecycle of a building.
In addition to the SaaS model, customers can also opt for Siemens Xcelerator Building Services, a comprehensive program built on Building X, where Siemens takes responsibility for achieving customer goals. This model combines Siemens technology with the expertise of its digital building experts. The program is individually tailored to customer needs to achieve predefined objectives, such as reducing operational and energy costs, optimizing asset availability and productivity, meeting regulatory requirements, or improving user experience.
Siemens Xcelerator is an open and digital business platform for accelerating digital transformation, consisting of a customized portfolio of IoT hardware and software, a growing ecosystem of partners, and an evolving marketplace.
Additional information about Siemens Smart Infrastructure can be found at www.siemens.de/smart-infrastructure.
Additional information about Building X can be found at www.siemens.com/buildingx.