LOST IN TRANSLATION
01-04-10
Maximizing functionality, while maintaining simplicity, are the key features of an intelligent system. A system integrator brings in a wide array of components to accomplish the goal of creating a unified, functioning system that meets the needs of the client. A control system sometimes needs to expand outside its normal parameters to include a subsystem that would normally not be included, for such instances a module is developed by the programmer to interface into the 3rd party devices. Some companies who claim to be system integrators lack the experience and knowledge to create a module to control such 3rd party devices, and will simply deny or claim the ability to include that subsystem in the design by saying “It can’t be done.”
A systems integrator is a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole and ensuring that those subsystems function together, a practice known as Systems Integration. As lighting and A/V systems increase in their level of sophistication and the number of manufacturers for components of these systems increase, so does the demand for system integrators. Such subsystems that are included in the control design are lighting, distributed audio and video, climate control, irrigation, access control, security, surveillance, networking and communication, home theater, spa, and energy management to name a few. Each one of these systems can be controlled independently, however with a control system and an experienced integrator; full functionality can be achieved with ease of use through one user interface.
Usually a client will request control of a device or subsystem that would normally be a standalone system where drivers for communication do not yet exist, creating the need for the system integrator to build new drivers or modules. In this situation the “non professional integrator” will tell you that it simply can’t be done ,when in reality they just don’t have a dedicated programmer or division of programmers that specialize in system integration, and now you will most likely be missing a lot of “advanced programming” that simplifies use. A true integrator knows that anything electrical or mechanical can be integrated.
