Johnson Controls is among IBM's partner companies as the computing giant rolls out its Smarter Buildings program, which aims to reduce energy and water use at corporate buildings.
The program, which is an outgrowth of existing efforts between the two to create energy efficient data centers, should work for any building or portfolio of buildings, according to a press release.
Using intelligent controls, along with energy waste detection and reporting, IBM predicts that most buildings can save 10-20 percent on energy costs.
The Smarter Buildings program also will look at the space utilization of any given building. The Johnson Controls Visible Living Lab tools could help firms get 10-20 percent more efficiency out of their existing space.
The Johnson Controls Metasys Building Management System, along with IBM's Maximo program, is specifically tailored to boost facility efficiency, as well as lifecycle management and occupant safety.
IBM has been working with a hotel in China on the Smarter Building program, too.
The St. Regis Hotel in Shanghai integrated 12 sub-systems to create one intelligent building, with a ratio of energy costs to revenue below 5 percent compared to 8 percent for similar hotels in the Shanghai region – a 40 percent improvement, said Emily Horn, a spokeswoman at IBM.
In other IBM news, the company is working with Ricoh on a program to test real-time tracking and monitoring of office printers, according to a press release.
The goal is to help Ricoh reduce its print-related costs and slash its carbon footprint. The effort is relying on IBM's Tivoli software.
Research from Gartner shows that companies can reduce their print costs 10-30 percent by better managing their stable of printers, copiers and fax machines.
