Akenza AG

Access to Building Management Systems (BMS) data has been a regular request from akenza customers. 

The integration of BMS data and IoT data creates a powerful tool for developing smarter, more efficient, and sustainable buildings. Combining already existing fieldbus data with additional IoT sensors offers new and broader building insights. Accessing existing BMS data also reduces the amount of additional IoT sensor deployments.

However, accessing BMS data is often limited and challenging. Classical BMS systems are mainly built with an on-site automation focus, with the user interface located in the building basement and accessible to a few selected users. Non-technical difficulties, like ownership and warranty concerns, can also complicate access. 

akenza has looked for ways to make BMS data easily available while also remaining true to our agnostic approach. With the launch of the akenza Building Edge, BMS can now connect seamlessly to the akenza platform, where the valuable merger of IoT and BMS data takes place.

The new akenza Building Edge is designed to bridge BMS with the cloud. 

Here are some of the key features of the new connector:

• Cloud connectivity for your BMS: Quickly connect BMS data to the akenza platform via MQTT, a lightweight messaging protocol.
• Customizable data points: You choose which data points from your BMS you want to have available in the cloud.
• Supporting all industry-standard protocols: Designed to support protocols like KNX, BACnet, and Modbus, the akenza Building Edge integrates with a wide variety of existing BMS, making it easy to deploy in any environment.
• Leveraging the Niagara Framework: Based on the broadly used Niagara Framework, it connects building data to the akenza platform with minimal effort. 

By connecting to the akenza platform, the connector centralizes data from both wired BMS and wireless, battery-powered devices (e.g. LPWAN devices) onto the platform. BMS data points are stored in the same format as IoT devices. The data can then be accessed in akenza via our Dashboard Builder but also forwarded to 3rd party tools and databases for further analysis. 

With this new component in the akenza product family, building operators can move beyond isolated systems and fragmented data to achieve a holistic view of their facilities.