1. World Wide Web As with nearly every other industry on the planet, the future of Automated Buildings is directly linked with the World Wide Web. In fact the Web may have more to do with defining Direct Digital Controls future than any individual development in control theory, HVAC or building technology 2. Field Bus Communication Standards In 1995 when ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) published BACnet? there were 100 or more networks and communication protocols in use throughout the controls industry. The industry became aware of the role that communication played in the long-term success of DDC systems and the importance of protocols and networking. The same challenges remain today, but with a tremendous simplification, rather than 100 protocols there are only a few, and for now it is simpler to call them standards 3. Wireless Revolution Working without wires is a new concept for our Automated Buildings Industry. Our industry has been woven together with wires and only recently have we gotten our minds around a wire-reduced world with the acceptance of several levels of networking. If you think that the networking standards and the Internet/Intranet have had a phenomenal affect on our industry in the last few years, just watch what wireless technology is going to do. Wireless has been demonstrated on a wide range of wireless appliances including web-enabled cell phones, pagers and web pads. Although the panoramic view of, and the ease of click and point that we have come to expect from full browser based systems is extremely restricted with these wireless devices, when they are put in the hands of skilled operators with good system knowledge they can provide quick wireless access to the majority of system information 4. Componentization of the Control of the HVAC Industry The next phase of building automation technology will bring new life to some traditional equipment. Likewise, it will usher in a rethinking of what building HVAC systems do, and how they do it. We have had the ability to use microprocessors for direct digital control (DDC) to enhance equipment energy performance and functionality for several years. However, this power has been locked into islands of automation intelligence in standalone controllers. Although this approach was originally not well accepted by the industry, the islands of automation intelligence are now being bridged with standards in communication protocols. The bridging allows optimum energy and comfort control in large buildings, using a single, cohesive control system with embedded building-wide control strategies. 5. The Wireless Service Revolution Field service technicians will carry rugged handheld computers wirelessly connected to the internet. The computer is down-loaded with maintenance check lists for each unit to be worked on. This allows the technician to diagnose problems and record equipment readings and complete tasks quickly and easily by checking items from a list on the screen. All equipment history and readings are available to the technician in the field without even calling the office. This wireless service revolution is bound to find synergy with the rapid advances in wireless Automated Buildings allowing service super-techs to guide building maintenance runners through the diagnostics of complex system problems through the complete deployment of wireless interfaces 6. New words such as "Enviromation" The Art & Science of Communication/Automation Integration with our Environments. I coined this word over five years ago. The new word was needed to describe the radical, exciting changes that were occurring in the integration of communication and automation with our green building environment. Feel free to use the word in this context - I feel that it is very descriptive 7. Direct Digital Control Evolution The term Direct Digital Control no longer describes the industrys goals; rather it want