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Carpe Diem

Aug. 5, 2002

To new adventures in technology

Just as the technology rush of the new millennium was hitting the skids, Buildings magazine made the decision to take the leadership position in talking to its readers, suppliers, and service providers about the status of technology.It was nearly two years ago that Buildings magazine launched TechWork – a monthly column that would address emerging trends in technology. In November 2000, I wrote that first column, “Battle of the Dot Coms.” Wow. A lot has happened in technology since then.The commercial buildings industry has seen broadband Internet service providers come and go; struggled with a whole new vocabulary of acronyms – CLEC, ILEC, BLEC; and learned to appreciate the complexities of proprietary and open protocols. This isn’t to say that we didn’t experience any discomfort along the way. Why, with all the flexibility that the Internet brought about, LonMark and BACnet still battle it out over proprietary vs. open systems protocols and we’re left to wrestle with the ease and explosion of Internet-based software.Ah yes, the Internet. What can’t we do through the Internet? Facilities monitoring and management, online procurement of products and services, integrated project management, lease availabilities, and tenant churn. We emphasized the flexibility and convenience of the Internet and introduced our readers to Tivo technology and the future of digital imaging.Buildings has talked with you about technology in school, government, healthcare, and corporate facilities; looked at legislation and building codes; and examined proper e-mail etiquette. We’ve discussed the improvements in CAD/CAFM software; whether or not to integrate security and automation systems; and the convenience of wireless communications through the use of handheld devices, including two-way radios.I’ve even picked up a few nicknames along the way – Techie Chick, Tech Star, and Techno-mama. Each has made me laugh a bit and left me feeling more than a bit undeserving. Most impressive to me have been the people that I have interviewed. There are many others who have equally contributed to the success of this column.It is without any regrets that I say farewell to Buildings magazine: its loyal readers; advertisers; and exceptional staff. Thank you all for your very generous feedback. It’s been a great adventure.Clara M.W. Vangen was formerly technologies editor at Buildings magazine.