The information network today is the circulatory system of any organization anywhere, regardless of size, geography, and mission. Because of this, organizations continue to do what is necessary to assure their networks are available, reliable, cost effective, and otherwise suited to their mission-critical role. It’s essential to ask what additional elements of organizational operations might benefit from a network-centric strategy. One direction seeing broad adoption across essentially every market and application is the rise of the smart building.

While the precise definition can vary, the basic attributes for smart buildings of any form are:

• Energy and environmental

• Integrity, safety, and security

• Productivity and social responsibility

The key to smart-building success is in leveraging network infrastructure with the coverage and management to make this outcome a reality.