Infosys will collaborate with Microsoft Azure to provide smart building technologies to engineers, architects, developers and builders.
Microsoft's Azure cloud platform will be combined with sensor-enabled devices and Infosys’ design expertise and global innovation hubs to support software that is designed to lower energy usage and optimize the use of space in new construction projects, Infosys said. Microsoft has been beefing up its Azure IoT platform, recently acquiring Express Logic.
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Building system monitoring and predictive maintenance will be part of the software package called Smart Building Management. The existing Infosys framework called SCALE (Sustainable-Connected-Affordable-Livable-Experiential) will be used to create the ability to provide a central command center for automation, monitoring and control of building energy, lighting, water usage and acoustic systems. AI will be used to reduce costs and promote sustainable structures.
The two companies will open an Innovation Lab in Redmond, Washington, to serve as an extension of the Infosys Smart Workplace Hub in Indianapolis. Part of the goal is to create prototypes and frameworks for smart building projects and to develop a partner ecosystem for smart building technologies.
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Infosys has emphasized creating workplaces that value employees, noting that millennials will account for half of all workers starting in 2020. “Millennials work for companies that offer personalized work experience and flexible work environment,” Infosys said in a statement.
Also, energy usage in data centers has doubled every five years, Infosys said, making smart building automation and planning a priority.