The synergy between the data layer and IoT sensors [Marketplace #1]

Hey friends,

Buyers: This new ‘Marketplace’ newsletter series is written just for you.

Series theme: Understanding the smart building tech marketplace  

This week’s topic: Synergy between the Data Layer and IoT Sensor categories

Being a Buyer in the smart building technology market requires you to start thinking in categories. The Nexus Marketplace currently has 47 different categories—and counting!

We’ll walk through each category in this series soon. Today, let’s focus on the growing synergy between two groups of categories: The Data Layer and the myriad types of IoT Sensors.

First, definitions:

• Your Data Layer sits on top of the device and network layers as the data infrastructure for any smart building software application. It’s more than just data storage: the applications need an ontology to understand all the data they're consuming, including all the underlying devices and how they fit together into a system of systems.
• Your IoT Sensors measure something important within your building—occupancy count, air quality, water leaks, etc. These data streams, if used properly, give you insights into how spaces are being used, current conditions, and changes over time.

Do you see the synergy there?

Your IoT Sensors are more valuable when their data is combined with data from other IoT sensors. They’re more valuable when their data is combined with data from the base building systems (HVAC, Lighting, etc) in your device layer.

Conversely, your Data Layer is more valuable as more types of data get added to the mix. That’s because it provides the context—how does all this data fit together?

Thus, one of the main value propositions touted by data layer vendors is all the out-of-the-box “connectors” they’ve built. A few clicks, they say, and you can pull in your IoT data into your Data Layer. On the flip side, one of the value propositions to look for with IoT Sensor vendors is how easily they make it to get data into your Data Layers vs. theirs.

Our two latest deployment profiles feature this synergy:

• At Riversouth in Austin, Texas, KODE Labs provides the data layer, integrating data from Occupancy, IAQ, and Restroom sensors
• At ICD Brookfield in Dubai, UAE, Facilio provides the data layer, pulling in tenant submeters and more

‍★ Go deeper with us

At this week’s Buyer’s Guide to IoT Sensors webinar, we unpacked everything to think about when buying this group of categories. We had our partners from both the Data Layer and IoT Sensor categories on hand to answer your questions!

Watch a recording of the webinar here.

Next week, I’ll hit you with our next theme.

See you then,
—James Dice, Founder and CEO, Nexus Labs