BAScloud by ProFM

BAScloud by ProFM

Based on the experience of the past five years with virtualised and centralised BMS systems, we at ProFM have ventured to take the next (logical) step: solving one of the central problems in today’s BMS world: the secure exchange of data across system boundaries.

A GLT is lonely

Seen through the eyes of an IT specialist, many IT systems in building management systems are old news. Even in 2018, one still encounters server systems there with Windows Server 2003 as the operating system in almost unpatched original condition. It’s a wonder that these systems have made it to the present day, is often the first reaction of those outside the industry. But there are two simple reasons for survival: 1. the systems were never connected to the internet or external systems and 2. even more than in IT itself, the principle “never change a running system!” has applied in building automation up to now. Nevertheless, even for these servers, it is always to be hoped that the hard disk or another essential component in the system never stops working. Unfortunately, functioning backups are just as rare there.

The new world

New requirements are now being placed on many building automation components and isolated solutions can no longer meet them. In many places, connections to other systems and to the internet were established without much thought, with serious negative consequences, considering the state of the servers. So what to do? Secure interfaces and transport routes for data exchange are needed. In ProFM, specialists from building automation work together with IT specialists. So it makes sense to break new ground conceptually and to take a clear step forward together.

The BAScloud

Today (mid-March 2018) we are on the verge of the first productive release of BAScloud. The central platform for BMS data exchange and services connection. We will be able to solve many of the fundamental problems in the cross-location networking of BMS systems and, above all, the exchange of data with the BAScloud platform. We will report here on what happens next.