This week, we sat down with Julio Londono, Sales Manager, Americas, to hear his views on the latest in the smart building industry: ''I’ve been in the building automation industry for decades, and I’ve watched firsthand as technology has reshaped how we think about comfort, energy efficiency, and security in the built environment. While the opportunities have never been greater, building owners, operators, and integrators are still facing real challenges that can slow the adoption of smart building technologies.''
''From my vantage point at J2 Innovations, working closely with distributors, system integrators, and end users, I see three major themes shaping our industry right now: the shortage of skilled technicians, the need for secure remote connectivity, and the demand for openness in both platforms and procurement.
The shortage of skilled labor is one of the biggest hurdles we face today. Skilled technicians are expensive, and training new ones on traditional platforms can take a lot of time. This slows down project delivery and makes it harder to scale.
That’s why ease of use matters. With FIN Framework, we designed a platform that is simple to learn, quick to set up, and actually enjoyable to work with. By reducing the learning curve, FIN helps new technicians ramp up faster and allows experienced technicians to complete projects more efficiently.
Another challenge is remote connectivity. Traditionally, accessing a building system remotely required a VPN, which IT teams are often reluctant to approve—especially in environments with sensitive data.
At J2, we’ve addressed this with an edge-to-cloud connectivity solution that doesn’t rely on VPNs. Backed by Siemens’ world-class cybersecurity standards, it offers peace of mind to IT departments while still delivering the remote access that operators and integrators need.
End users want options. They don’t want to be locked into one vendor’s ecosystem, whether for hardware, software, or procurement. That’s why openness is one of the guiding principles behind FIN Framework.
It’s not just about being an open software platform; it’s about offering multiple pathways for procurement. Customers can purchase from our partners, OEMs, and in the US, also directly from J2 Innovations as FIN Solution Partners.
Across industries, AI is reshaping the way we work. In building automation, I see it as an opportunity to enhance—not replace—the role of integrators and technicians.
One example we’re developing at J2 is a virtual assistant for building operators. Instead of digging through complex navigation menus, operators will simply be able to ask the system how their building is performing and how to optimize it.
AI will make projects faster and more efficient. A job that once took two weeks can often be delivered in just four or five days with FIN. For integrators, that means more profitable projects—not fewer jobs.
For building owners and facility managers preparing for the future, my single piece of advice is this: choose platforms that provide structured data.
At J2, we base our data modeling on Project Haystack, an open standard for semantic tagging. Structured data makes it far easier to integrate with other applications, run queries, and unlock the full value of building data. Without it, you risk building a system that’s hard to scale and even harder to connect to emerging technologies.
What excites me most is how much innovation is now coming from outside the traditional giants of our industry. For decades, building automation was dominated by a handful of companies. Today, new players are entering the field with fresh ideas, innovative approaches, and new products.
J2 Innovations itself started as a small startup with a vision for openness and an intuitive user experience by leveraging structured data. That spirit of innovation is what continues to drive the industry forward, and it’s what makes me confident in the future of smart buildings.'
Topics from this blog: Systems Integrator Smart Buildings FIN Framework Industry Building Automation System Democratization BAS AI FIN Intelligence GenAI FIN
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