The Future of Smart Buildings and Smart Cities
3 Takeaways from CES 2019
Checking out the latest and greatest innovations and technologies is always energizing, and CES 2019 did not disappoint. I had the chance to hear from leaders in the smart building and smart cities technology space, both on the CES floor and at the board meeting for the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA), which lined up with CES. Attending both gave me plenty to think about as we move into 2019.
Here are the three biggest themes that stuck with me:
- No one knows what it means to be a smart city.
Smart cities were heavily featured at CES, but when I went through the booths the focus was either on helping autonomous vehicles maneuver a city, wireless communications from parking sensors or EV charging. While interesting and important, this is the tip of the iceberg for smart cities.
At Current, we see infinite use cases for increased public safety, economic development and more efficient public transportation, yet that can get lost when talking about smart city infrastructure.
I appreciate now more than ever how confusing it must be for city officials to sort through all of the options and all of the companies that are approaching them with technology and ideas. My goal is to challenge my team to demonstrate the value of a full solution platform that rises above the smart washing.
- Cyber security is top of mind for everyone.
We all know consumers are concerned about protecting their privacy in the age of omnipresent technology, so I wasn’t surprised to hear cyber security come up frequently. At this point, it seems like everyone accepts that they need to secure the cloud, protect confidential information and generally keep data under lock and key, but the prospect of dealing with data collected by smart homes, smart clothes and smart everything will bring new challenges. Since Current doesn’t collect personally identifiable information, these specific privacy concerns are not something we run into very often. I appreciated the chance to hear different perspectives on security challenges.
- The future is open.
Google and Amazon dominated much of the conversation around smart technology. Compatibility with Google/Amazon is the name of the game in devices to make home life easier. Wondering if we will see Google and Amazon start to permeate commercial environments? This question re-emphasizes something I already know: the future is open. Too many companies are creating too many awesome technologies to operate in siloes. I see firsthand some of the fascinating solutions that Current’s third-party application partners are bringing to market and being able to work with them to meet the (sometimes incredibly specific) needs of our customers feels more important than ever.
Hearing CABA members discuss their opportunities and challenges only further emphasized this point. I was surrounded by some of the biggest names in technology, but they still recognized that we need to work together to prove that our smart building solutions are creating unprecedented value. Many in attendance felt that the smart buildings industry was near the tipping point but needs third parties like CABA to present compelling use cases and verifiable data to support investments in the technology. That type of concentrated effort, combined with the established need for cohesive smart systems and device compatibility, has me confident that the future is bright—and the spark lies in our ability to collaborate.