Monitoring, support and maintenance for shared building infrastructure.
IT4Automation provides managed support for the networks, servers, virtualisation platforms, workstations, firewalls, backups and remote access services that support building systems.
Our service is designed for landlords, managing agents and FM providers who need clear ownership of the operational infrastructure behind modern commercial buildings.
IT4Automation provides managed support for the network, server, firewall, backup and remote access infrastructure used by Building Management Systems, access control, lighting, metering and other operational building systems.
A building management system (BMS), sometimes called a building automation system, gives facility managers centralised control of various building systems: HVAC control, ventilation systems, air conditioning, temperature control, lighting control and energy management. Building owners rely on it to improve energy efficiency, optimise energy usage and keep operational costs and energy costs under control. Its monitoring and control functions, real time data and energy reporting all depend on a shared infrastructure layer that the BMS contractor does not normally own. In most commercial buildings that layer supports:
Our IT support for building management systems gives that infrastructure a single, accountable owner, as part of the wider Landlord Networking service.
Smart building technologies have made commercial properties more efficient, but they have also made building operations more dependent on IT. The BMS system, the control system for lighting and the automation system for ventilation all exchange BMS data across the same landlord network as access control, CCTV and other systems. Energy consumption reporting, efficient energy management and regulatory compliance evidence depend on that data arriving reliably.
In most buildings, this infrastructure has grown over many years and sits between several parties. Common issues include:
When nobody owns this layer, faults take longer to diagnose, operational costs rise and facility managers are left managing the uncertainty. A managed service turns that infrastructure into something monitored, documented and supportable, so facility management staff and building operators can focus on building performance and operational efficiency.
The service is designed to support the shared infrastructure layer used by building systems and specialist contractors. Depending on the agreed scope, IT4Automation can support:
The switching, routing and security that connect building systems.
The servers and workstations that host building system software.
The processes that keep the service accountable.
A successful managed service starts with a controlled take-on process. Before service commencement, IT4Automation will work through five stages. This reduces the risk of a support gap and creates a clear operating model from the first day of service.
Survey and document the agreed infrastructure, and confirm asset scope and dependencies.
Review current monitoring, backup and recovery arrangements.
Establish support contacts and escalation routes, and identify specialist contractor responsibilities.
Connect agreed infrastructure to monitoring platforms and confirm remote access arrangements.
Prepare service documentation and complete a service-readiness review.
Once the service is live, IT4Automation provides structured support for agreed infrastructure, backed by our UK-based NOC and SOC. Continuous monitoring is delivered through our Protect foundation, and backup and hosting support through Host. The service can include:
We also keep secure records of agreed configurations and maintain the infrastructure and service documentation, so system performance, equipment performance and the health of the building management system infrastructure can be evidenced at every review. The result is fewer surprises for building operations and clearer information for maintenance teams.
IT4Automation manages the infrastructure that building systems depend on. Specialist contractors remain responsible for their own applications, field devices and vendor-specific systems. This creates a clear responsibility model, which reduces confusion and improves coordination during incidents and planned works.
Network switches, firewalls, servers, virtualisation, backup monitoring and access infrastructure.
BMS, access control, CCTV, lighting and specialist building applications, including field controllers and system components.
Operational priorities, access approval and change authorisation.
IT4Automation can align service levels to the operational importance of the supported infrastructure. An example priority model:
A critical building service is unavailable or a confirmed security incident affects supported infrastructure.
A critical service is degraded or has lost resilience.
A fault affects part of the service but does not stop critical operations.
A service request or planned change.
Initial response means acknowledgement, ownership and commencement of triage. Resolution depends on the nature of the fault, remote access availability, third-party contractor response, manufacturer support and any required change approvals.
To maintain clear responsibility, the managed service does not normally include:
These services can be scoped separately where required. Larger changes can be planned through Landlord Network Modernisation, and contractor access controls through Secure Contractor Access.
IT4Automation has designed, delivered and supported landlord networks in some of London’s most demanding commercial properties.
A 12-floor building with up to 12 segmented building services on one resilient network, supported by IT4Automation for 16 years with 24/7 monitoring.
Three managed office buildings across 44 floors, with two Critical National Infrastructure tenants, designed to NCSC CAF and delivered by NPPV3/SC-cleared engineers.
IT4Automation combines IT infrastructure capability with operational technology and building services experience.
Accreditations: UKAS-accredited ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, SafeContractor and Constructionline Gold.
A BMS monitoring system watches building services such as HVAC, air conditioning, lighting and energy usage, and raises alarms when something falls outside normal limits. Its key components are field devices, controllers, BMS software on servers and the user interfaces operators use from a central location, all linked by the building network. IT4Automation provides real time monitoring of that supporting network and server infrastructure, so infrastructure problems can be picked up early.
A building management system (BMS) collects data from sensors and controllers across various building systems, then uses automated control and control strategies to adjust HVAC, lighting and other building systems from a central location. Facility managers use that real time data for energy management and data driven insights into building performance. Every part of that chain, from controllers to servers and user interfaces, depends on the building network.
Field devices such as sensors and actuators, controllers, the network that links them, servers running the BMS software components, and the workstations and user interfaces operators use. Specialist BMS contractors look after the field devices, controllers and application. IT4Automation supports the network, servers, workstations and remote access.
IT4Automation provides 24/7 monitoring of the agreed infrastructure that a BMS runs on, including switches, firewalls, servers, virtual machines and backups, with automatic alerting and ticket creation. Alarms raised by the BMS application itself remain with the BMS contractor or your operations team unless separately agreed.
No. Specialist contractors remain responsible for their own applications, field devices and vendor-specific systems. IT4Automation is vendor-neutral: we manage the infrastructure behind the major BMS platforms and other building automation systems, and coordinate with each contractor during incidents and planned works.
Most clients start with a one-building OT infrastructure risk review. It gives a clear view of hidden infrastructure risk and ends with a decision point on managed support or modernisation.
IT4Automation visited to perform a network survey and assisted with troubleshooting a network issue… I was very pleased with the service that IT4Automation provided and would certainly contact them again in the future if needed.
Stuart Jolley – S,C&I Engineer, Systems Lead
Great communication, reliable and your team… worked pretty much non stop start to finish. I think this upgrade has made a good improvement to the machine and will improve reliability.
George Voisey – Balfour Beatty Rail
IT4Automation can help you take control of the shared infrastructure that supports your building systems.
