Watch the Buyer's Guide to Master Systems Integrators & Integration Technology

Introduction

Welcome to the Nexus Labs Buyer's Guide to Master Systems Integrators & Integration Technology.

Dive into Master Systems Integrators & Integration Technology with James Dice where he discusses the following:

- Why this category of products and services matters for Buyers

- Technical overview / how it works

- Marketplace overview, including types of vendors and how they're different

- Top 3 buying considerations

- 3 minutes presentation from each Partner that provides that category of products/services

- Interactive Q&A with audience questions

Presentation

Article

3 Bombs That Were Dropped During Our Buyer’s Guide on Master Systems Integrators & Integration Technology - And One That Still Needs to Hit

Our monthly Nexus Labs Buyer’s Guide always offers interesting discussions and valuable insights to our community, but our webinar on Master Systems Integrators and Integration Technology provided more than the typical level of spice. And while our chat and Q&A are often on fire, this conversation had one participant declaring “bombs have been dropped.”

For those who weren’t able to join us live, we highly encourage you to catch the full recording here. But we also thought we’d recap the biggest “bombs” that went off — and one that still needs to hit.

Bomb #1 - Access and Control is the Top Reason Buyers want Integration

During his presentation, Nexus Labs founder James Dice outlined the six main reasons buyers want more integration.

1. Getting systems to talk to each other
2. Getting data out of the building
3. Getting data into software applications
4. Securing the network
5. Getting access and control
6. Future-proofing

While all of these reasons are good and valid, James dropped the first bomb of the day with this declaration: the number one reason buyers want more integration in their buildings and systems is to gain more access. 

Even though it’s often overlooked, in all of Nexus Labs’ conversations with buyers, building owners told us they want more control. And when every system is siloed, with data locked down and inaccessible, that makes control complicated.

When systems are integrated, with data available across the system, buyers can more easily take back ownership and control.

Bomb #2 - MSIs Won’t Hold You Hostage — and If They Do, They’re Not an MSI

The idea that building owners want more access and control was driven home when bomb #2 was dropped during the Q&A portion of the conversation by Alex Waibel, President of BuildingLogiX. He noted that while design firms may be experts in mechanical or electrical design, building automation is still a mystery for many of them, leading them to work with large, traditional partners who offer those services — at a price. “Those companies aren’t MSIs, but they are good at holding people hostage. We need MSIs to break that and give people options,” Alex said.

He was later backed up by Jim Meacham, Pricipal at Altura, who noted that it’s fundamental to the concept of MSI that the client owns the systems and data they help put in place. “If you only sell software that’s your own software, or hardware that only you can service, you can’t be an MSI,” Jim said.

Bomb #3 - Open Source Platforms Provide The Highest, Long-Term ROI

In his presentation, James briefly discussed open-source technology stacks during the marketplace overview, noting that while they are not as popular right now as more traditional platforms, they do provide an opportunity to accelerate innovation by allowing customers to access the full power of the industry. 

This was echoed later by Matt Kauffman, Business Development Manager at Normal, who said that while it is true that these solutions are not yet widely accepted, the value of having a light, flexible, and dynamic technology stack only grows with each month, as more and more IoT systems and capabilities are introduced to the market.

Aaron Brondum, Senior Director of Business Development at View, agreed, saying that systems that have APIs offer the highest return on investment. “APIs all day, every day, and you’ll be setting yourself up for success,” said Aaron. 

Near the end of the webinar, Matt reiterated his point, arguing that the future of the built environment relies on more people being able to access the system, providing opportunities for greater innovation and transformation. He gave credit to legacy systems like Niagra that are pivoting towards being more open source, creating space for this vision.

And the bomb that has yet to go off… we need a new definition for MSIs.

James recognized at the start of the conversation that many in our industry take issue with the term “master” in Master Systems Integrators, with the term’s connotations to racism and power relationships between humans. While he recognized those concerns, he also noted the term can also refer to mastery over one’s trade, as it does in this instance.

Beyond that, however, much of the Q&A conversation centered around what the definition of an MSI is, and what it should be. 

Several questions were asked about if an MSI role can be performed remotely (yes, and sometimes no), and also if there was a difference between MSIs with experience in more critical environments like health care versus simple buildings (general consensus: absolutely)

One key aspect of the role the panel seemed to agree on was that MSIs should be technology agnostic.

James Atkins, Director at FPC Global, said that clearly, saying that MSIs should be looking at the collective effectiveness of entire systems, and listening to the client requirements above all. He also noted that early engagement in projects is critical for achieving this aspect of an MSI’s work.

Alex Waibel also offered his opinion, noting that the fact there is no good definition of an MSI is a problem. He challenged everyone on the call to come up with a better definition, and offered this of his own: “Whether it’s a systems integrator, or a Master Systems Integrator, or a contractor, or a consultant, it’s about helping a building owner understand their problem, and what steps they need to take to solve it.”

It’s clear from the conversation that while MSIs serve a critical role in the smart buildings industry, there is still plenty to discuss when it comes to their exact definition. Want to join the conversation? Join our community of smart buildings changemakers today!

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