Dive Brief:
- Johnson Controls has launched a commercial service aimed at helping its North American customers respond efficiently to critical security events, while boosting their operational resilience, staff efficiency and disaster recovery capabilities.
- The firm’s Security Operations Centers offering provides facility operators with a bundle service package, including standardized protocol procedures, organizational assessments and best practice recommendations, staffing support and a quality assurance program, through a “predictable as-a-service fee,” the company said in an April 10 news release.
- “Our extensive network of highly skilled engineers and state-of-the-art monitoring centers ensures our North American customers have the necessary resources and expertise to effectively and efficiently protect their facilities and assets,” Julie Brandt, president of Building Solutions North America at Johnson Controls, said in the release.
Dive Insight:
While many users rely on building insights to inform their decisions and meet security, sustainability and operational optimization goals, only 10% of smart building leaders believe their building systems are fully integrated, according to a 2023 report by Forrester Consulting. This lack of integration is costing operators “time, people, and money,” according to the report, which surveyed 3,445 leaders and was conducted in collaboration with Johnson Controls.
Poor integration across systems, alongside a lack of technical expertise needed to optimize and leverage building systems, is leading operators to seek smart building partners with deep integration abilities that can provide leaders with easy-to-access insights, Forrester says.
To help operators navigate these challenges, Johnson Controls’ Security Operations Centers service, or SOC, provides access to the firm’s central monitoring and response services experience and a network of engineers. “Ultimately, our goal is to empower business leaders in creating safer and more productive environments and this new service offering helps reach those goals through a scalable and proven offering,” Brandt said.
The SOC includes services that Johnson Controls says meets “every facility’s specific needs, delivered with complete on-site support or hybrid models.” These features span assessments of organizational processes, technologies and staff to implement uniform protocols that help mitigate risks; a quality assurance program to ensure consistency and provide visibility into the accuracy of the work being performed; direct support to help develop standardized operating procedures; and “guaranteed 24/7/365 support,” the company said.
In addition, Johnson Controls launched a new security lifecycle management offering within its OpenBlue connected buildings platform, combining the firm’s connected solutions suite with remote support services, insights from skilled engineers and its ability to monitor and manage security devices across vendors, it said in an April 9 news release.
The company also renewed its partnership with Everbridge, a firm that assists companies and government organizations respond to and recover from “critical events,” such as public safety events, cyber infrastructure threats and extreme weather. Johnson Controls said data collected through the OpenBlue and Everbridge 360 platforms will provide security professionals with information to assess risk and initiate automated security workflow and emergency operating procedures.
“Our collaboration with Johnson Controls improves the ability of customers to ensure business continuity, life safety, and security across a wider range of scenarios and be better prepared for the unexpected,” Dominic Jones, senior vice president of business development, partnerships and alliances at Everbridge, said in a statement.
