Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched Building X, a new smart building suite that is open, interoperable, and fully cloud-based.
The suite is the first next-generation offering built on the design principles of Siemens Xcelerator, an open digital business platform launched to accelerate digital transformation and value creation across industry, transportation, grids, and buildings.
Building X addresses the challenges of various stakeholders, including building users, property investors, real estate companies, and facility managers, acting as a single source of truth to eliminate complexity and support net-zero targets.
Stakeholders can digitise and use their building data from various sources, disciplines, and systems on one single platform, enabling a seamless user experience and the integration of their existing software and ecosystem, including third-party applications, through vendor agnostic connectivity and open application programming interfaces (APIs).
The suite offers modular, AI-enabled applications, and built-in cyber security. It also facilitates co-creation with customers and partners to address their challenges faster, thanks to the openness and cloud technology, which means digital transformation can be achieved easier, faster, and at scale.
Matthias Rebellius, managing board member of Siemens AG and chief executive of Smart Infrastructure, explains: “Building X is the antidote to data silos. We can now connect all data that smart building systems generate in one single data lake, scaling up smart buildings faster and moving closer to our vision of autonomous, net-zero buildings.
“Building X creates data-based outcomes for greater efficiency, performance, and experience, changing for the better the way we work and live in buildings.
“We look forward to co-creating use cases with our customers and partners on Building X to accelerate innovation and sustainability in the industry.”
The Building X suite currently features a set of applications and digital services, tailored to different stakeholder groups, all connected on the AI-enabled platform.
Its applications cover key domains of building management, including energy, security, and building operations, backed by strong analytics capabilities.
And it combines the real and digital worlds of buildings by consolidating data from multiple sources into a digital building operations twin.
With a virtual representation of a building, building operators can resolve issues faster; and users benefit from the transparency Building X provides in their efforts to make their buildings more sustainable, achieve better building performance, and optimise user experience – all resulting in higher business outcomes.
By creating a digital building operations twin, operators can resolve issues faster
A growing set of applications
The Building X applications are designed to be modular and persona-based, providing the right data to the right people.
In addition to co-creation possibilities, users can choose from multiple ready-made applications. This makes the single ‘pane of glass’ concept user and workflow-driven, while still allowing dashboards and data insights to be customised according to each user’s needs.
As of now, the offering embraces four applications, with more to be added to the platform over time:
- The Energy Manager tracks energy consumption, costs and CO2 footprint of a building or building fleet and enables early corrective actions if necessary. It forecasts energy consumption based on historical data, and supports users in tracking their sustainability goals, helping them reach net-zero buildings
- The Operations Manager operates and monitors building equipment and applications in real-time. It can monitor a fleet of sites from one single point and ensures fast issue-response while reducing downtimes. Users benefit from increased business continuity and improved reaction times
- The Security Manager operates and maintains security systems with unified and automated workflows. It centrally manages daily security operations and incidents across all systems
- The 360° Viewer App represents a location as a virtual 3D environment, allowing for indoor navigation for insights into equipment topology and installation
SaaS and driving outcomes with building services
Building X is offered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model on a subscription basis. Thanks to this approach, building stakeholders can access software off the shelf, ensuring they always have access to the latest functionality and find upgrades during the building lifecycle to meet their changing needs.
Aside from the SaaS model, customers can also opt for an end-to-end programme of Siemens Xcelerator Building Services, which will be enabled by Building X.
In this model, Siemens leverages a combination of its technology, paired with the expertise of its digital building professionals. The programmes are customised to achieve pre-defined outcomes, such as reducing operating and energy costs, optimising asset performance for uptime and productivity, meeting regulatory requirements, or enhancing the occupant experience.
