Italians advance in building automation

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Apr 30, 2003

Italian LonUser Group members are moving towards developing an entire range of innovative building automation products according to LonMark interoperability guidelines.

Italian LonUser Group (LonUsers Italia - LUI) members are moving towards developing an entire range of innovative building automation products according to the LonMark interoperability guidelines.

This action is timely as the demand for products bearing the LonMark logo, the guarantee of seamless interoperability between products across a LonWorks network, is dramatically increasing around the globe.

The newly elected LUI Executive Board recognises that both Italy and its Mediterranean neighbours are facing a rapidly expanding building automation market.

The new Board intends to motivate the LUI members to develop and certify products according to the LonMark Interoperability Guidelines in order to guarantee multi-vendor plug-and-play capability in this significant sector.

LUI was founded in 1999 by technical planners and system integrators to promote LonWorks technology across Italy.

Today, the group comprises over 29 companies.

The prime function of LUI is to represent the interests of Italian companies actively incorporating systems based on LonWorks technology and LonMark certified products, as well as to act as the focal point for disseminating information regarding open automation solutions.

"Part of our advisory role involves educating building owners and investors that only LonMark devices offer true interoperability and that the LonMark multi-vendor concept offers a high level of flexibility", says the newly elected President of LUI, Fabio Speziali from LonMark sponsor member Johnson Controls.

The LonMark interoperability guarantee allows building owners to install products and services from a variety of manufacturers to create a fully integrated state-of-the-art building system that can be expanded and altered at any time by simply plugging in new LonMark certified devices.

"After some experience of working with LonWorks technology, Apice decided to join the LonMark Interoperability Association.

The comprehensive solution offered by the LonMark Association, in particular the structure of the functional profiles in the applications, has proven to work seamlessly in products.

Interoperability is still guaranteed even if the integrator is required to carry out modifications on the system", declares Sandro Succi, the President of Apice and a founding member of LUI.

"LonMark certified products clearly demonstrate the advantages of true interoperability in terms of convenience and simplicity of use".

"We welcome the move on the part of the LUI to intensify its efforts towards increased product certification according to the LonMark Interoperability Guidelines", says Kevin Lynch, Executive Director of the LonMark Interoperability Association.

"It underlines the growing need for truly integrated building automation systems that only LonMark certified products can guarantee, and marks the increasing collaboration between our Association and the various international LonUser Groups".

The close co-operation between the LonMark Association and the LonUsers Europe, to which LonUsers Italia belongs, will be reinforced at the upcoming LonMark Spring General Meeting on 15th and 16th May 2003.

Here, the LonMark Association will work together with LonUser Groups to create an exciting and educational programme that will outline the advantages of the LonMark interoperability guarantee as experienced in real projects across the globe.