Cisco Systems is a company known worldwide for its networking prowess. So when the Silicon Valley leader launched an aggressive building program in May 1998 – 19 buildings with more than 3.4 million square feet – it sought a building controls supplier with networking expertise as well.
The high tech firm concluded that the proprietary system installed in its original campus sites was not only confining, but insufficient. Networking was non-existent, expansion limited and the integration of subsystems virtually impossible.
Automated Logic (ALC) first came to Cisco’s attention following the company’s acquisition of another Silicon Valley firm. Buildings at that site featured ALC products installed by Air Systems, Inc., an Automated Logic partner based in San Jose, California.
Cisco initiated its selection process for a controls vendor with a rigorous technical evaluation covering more than two dozen criteria. Automated Logic scored the highest of all seven companies competing for the project and it excelled in two areas critical to Cisco: interfacing capabilities with third parties plus powerful networking capabilities. Cisco initially “tested” the Automated Logic system with a trial installation in a smaller data center. Cisco understood the benefits of the Automated Logic product — ease of use, scalability, reliability and compatibility with resident operating systems. ALC’s integration and networking capabilities over Cisco’s WAN freed the firm from proprietary constraints. And the company valued the long-term dealer relationship with Automated Logic and its experience with its products.
“We chose Automated Logic’s system for two key reasons: its ability to interface with our corporate Ethernet and communicate with critical non-HVAC equipment, including UPS systems, generators and panel board meters,” added Mike Lavazza, Maintenance Operations Manager at Cisco. “Air Systems’s training and support at our Maintenance Response Center have been great. Best of all, the system has significantly improved our ability to trend building conditions and escalate alarm conditions.”
