One of the frustrations in any form of technology is closed systems. It happens frequently — take mobile computing. What works on Android is typically incapable of being used on iOS, except for some obvious examples like JPG files or separate versions of the same basic app.

When it comes to corporate needs, this gets complex, and building physical access control has been a major example. Merger and acquisition activity creates the need to blend incompatible systems of all sorts, including authorization to get into physical spaces. Companies that move an office from one building to another may need to reassign codes or entry devices so employees can get into the new space. Or a building owner might want to test new entry hardware systems and face the need to have multiple identification systems for employees.

A move toward a solution seems to have come from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, an industry organization with 675 members looking to create open standards in Internet of Things  technology that is broadly used in CRE. They announced a new standard called Aliro.