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Locally developed building management system

Visitors to Computer Faire in Cape Town last month were amongst the first in the world to see a new intelligent building management system developed and written in Cape Town.

Cape-based Fire and Instrument Services demonstrated its homegrown intelligent building management software, IBMS, for the first time. Recently completed,the system integrates all aspects of building management onto standard networked PCs. IBMS integrates all aspects of building management, including financial management and monitoring/controlling of building systems including access control, CCTV, electrical systems, fire detection, HVAC, networking, plant control, public address (PA) and more.

According to the company's Managing Director Ivar Kvale, "IBMS talks intelligently to all disparate building management systems including fire detection panels, access control systems, asset tracking systems, electrical and other control monitors, smart distribution boards, standby power systems and the like. It can monitor all power meters and provide remote diagnostics from anywhere on the local or wide area network. It can even do invoicing and billing for power used, to sub-tenants.

"IBMS can control smart boards remotely so that generators and distribution boards no longer have to be hard-wired for load-shedding," said Kvale.

He explained the system is cellphone compatible in that it can send SMSs to provide feedback and alarms on any of the controls it monitors. In addition to providing information on electrical and financial systems, it can also patch into CCTV and PA systems via the PC network. "With no hardware interfaces, all interfacing is done via software drivers. IBMS communicates with every system in its own language, doing away with the need for costly hardware interfaces."

IBMS was specifically designed for commercial buildings, computer rooms and other large high-tech environments. It is already in use at Sanlam and Anglo American sites, as well as at the KWV wine co-op.

For further details contact Fire and Instrument Services on tel: (021) 930 3228, fax: (021) 939 2605.

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