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Center; soon we’re going to be the Global Optimization Center. Mike: I think it goes back to my earlier remark; now that everyone
We’ve begun helping other Microsoft campuses optimize their buys into the smart building idea, the challenge is deciding
portfolios. Local teams will run the buildings, but my team will what systems we need. With today’s integrated solutions, it’s
provide engineering, fault detection and analytical support, not as easy as just selecting the right lighting control system
allowing them to focus on their core business, employees and or an energy management system—there are more questions,
customers. We’re all pretty excited about this! and more people involved in the decisions. Then, you have
your developers, your operations folks, the energy sustainability
The other thing I see on the two-year horizon is leveraging group and the engineers all looking at it through different lens.
our social media platform to impact employee behavior. We I think our biggest challenge is getting the right people at the
use an internal product called Yammer, which is like a Microsoft table. I know this is an old conversation. But it’s taking the time
‘Facebook’. I’d like to see us really use this platform to promote to figure out who needs to be involved in these decisions and
initiatives and garner feedback in a visual way that will help us then getting them in the room so we make the right decisions
drive behavior. and are all headed toward that same common goal.
Mike: We’ll focus on using mobile technologies more. We have
systems in play today that we’re not using to their full capa- Realcomm: Have you had any major security issues? What advice
bilities. I see us prioritizing this and really pushing things like can you give our readers to help them avoid security problems?
proactive notifications to our engineers, really optimizing our
operational efficiency. Darrell: Security’s been a hot topic lately. But with Microsoft, it’s
core. One of the values of using vendors who are building on
Realcomm: What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead? Microsoft technology is that security level exists. We’re an IT
Darrell: I might have said open protocol in the past; being able to get company; security is a fundamental principle for us. So, while
security is a hot topic now, it was a hot topic for Microsoft 35
to the data is critical. But I see more and more open standards and years ago. Now that buildings have become more sophisticated
OEMs exposing their data, which thrills me because now people and there’s more IT in them than ever before, system security is
can use the data in new ways. This had been a huge challenge in super important. My recommendation is be sure the products
the industry and I’m glad we are seeing this evolve.
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