LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Frost & Sullivan will host a free telephone and web briefing on Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 3.00 p.m. BST to provide industry participants with an overview of European Building Automation Systems (BAS) Protocol.

As opposed to proprietary protocols, open protocols, which make building automation system integration and interoperability possible, enable BAS suppliers to broaden their products' functionality in addition to HVAC applications. At present the two main open protocols which are widely used are BACnet and LonWorks. As end-users are wishing to mix and match the best products available from different vendors to create an ideal solution for their buildings, the challenge for the industry is to be able to integrate various building systems such as HVAC, lighting, security, fire protection, access control and metering together by using one single data communication protocol.

Highlights of the briefing include: overview of the BAS product market, an analysis of European protocol trends, including drivers, restraints, end-user requirements, advantages and drawbacks of the various solutions as well as industry challenges.

"There are two main protocols used today, LonWorks and BACnet. However, the Building Automation industry is not about choosing one protocol over the other, it is more about the best integration of the required systems," observes Frost & Sullivan's Industry Analyst Reka Szanto, who is working on a study on this subject.

This briefing will benefit manufacturers of building automation products and anyone, hoping to understand the current issues surrounding the future of communication protocols by discussing current and future trends.

To participate, please email Chiara Carella – Corporate Communications at chiara.carella@frost.com with the following information: your full name, title, company name, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a registration link will be emailed to you. You may also register to receive a recorded version of the briefing at anytime by submitting the aforementioned contact details.

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