Monday Live Recap – May 12 2025
This week’s Monday Live session focused on commercializing the vision for smarter buildings, with a deep dive into the critical role of collaboration in making it happen. The discussion was built on last week’s exploration of industry visions and how they can be brought to life
Last week’s discussion centered on defining industry visions; this week, it reinforced that executing those visions requires collective effort. The Semantic Tiger Team (more on that below) was highlighted as a prime example of cross-industry collaboration.
The Power of Collaboration in Commercialization
- Collaboration is essential to moving from vision to reality—no single company or standard can drive industry-wide change alone.
- Shared purpose, communication, and diverse contributions are the pillars of effective collaboration.
- Trust and respect are foundational—without them, efforts fragment into silos.
- Collaboration is work, not just goodwill—it requires structured effort and decision-making.
“Collaboration is not to create something new per se, but to figure out how to get proprietary systems talking to each other.” – Tracy
The Semantic Tiger Team: Driving Open Data Standards
Last week’s “visions” discussion included the need for unified data models—this week’s Tiger Team update showed real progress toward that goal.
- The Semantic Tiger Team (under C4SB and Linux Foundation) is developing a Semantic Metadata Model to standardize building data.
- Goal: Enable interoperability so systems can share data without reinventing protocols.
- Challenge: Balancing openness with innovation—vendors need differentiation and standard frameworks.
- AI may help translate between different semantic models in the future.
“We’re trying to establish a common language so owners know what to ask for and vendors know what to provide.” – Rick
Breaking Down Silos vs. Walled Gardens
Last week’s “visions” included interoperability—this week reinforced that collaboration is the only way to achieve it.
- Historically, vendors built “walled gardens”—proprietary ecosystems that lock in customers.
- Owners now demand open, multi-vendor solutions—they want systems that work together.
- Fear of commoditization exists—vendors worry that standardization = loss of differentiation.
- Innovation thrives in open ecosystems (e.g., the IT industry’s shift from IBM dominance to interoperable solutions).
“Innovation doesn’t happen inside walled gardens—it happens when collaboration allows multi-vendor solutions.” – Ken
The Role of Owners, Specifiers & Consultants
Last week’s discussion highlighted owner pain points—this week emphasized how collaboration can address them.
- Owners must demand openness, but they need confidence that vendors can deliver.
- Specifiers & consultants can drive adoption by requiring standardized semantic models in RFPs.
- The industry is still “push” (vendor-driven) rather than “pull” (owner-driven).
“Owners just want systems that work together—they don’t care about proprietary tech.” – Tracy
The Path Forward: Transparency & Community
Last week’s “visions” included industry alignment—this week stressed execution through open dialogue.
- More transparency is needed—collaboration can’t happen behind closed doors.
- AI (like ChatGPT summaries) can help disseminate ideas and build consensus.
- The “Connection Collaboratory” (C4SB + Monday Live + Automated Buildings) should act as a unified community.
“If collaboration is closed, it’s not really collaboration.” – Steve
Key Actions:
- Join the Semantic Tiger Team (contact Rick Szcodronski or Jory Buren).
- Demand open standards in RFPs and vendor discussions.
- Engage in the Connection Collaboratory (Monday Live, C4SB, Automated Buildings).
- Leverage AI tools to summarize and share progress.
The future of smart buildings depends on collaboration—let’s make it happen!
Watch the replay of this session here and join us next Monday!
this post was written with AI assistance from deepseek
#SmartBuildings #Interoperability #Collaboration #SemanticMetadata #FutureOfBuildings
