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Open Systems Overview

Open systems are at the heart of today’s control networking world.

An open system is built with devices from multiple manufacturers that conform to uniform industry standards. By following these standards, such disparate devices become instantly interoperable: They can work together on a network without needing a gateway to translate data between them. Networks based on open standards lower costs and offer enhanced features not available in closed, proprietary systems.

Open, interoperable systems—like those created with our LonWorks technology—are at the heart of today’s control networking world.

The LonWorks communications protocol, an international standard, is the underlying technology of LonWorks control networks. Any product embedded with LonWorks technology, no matter who manufactures it, can communicate directly with any other LonWorks enabled product.

It’s About Choice

Open, interoperable systems are all about choice. No longer are end users locked into lengthy, costly service and upgrade agreements from a single vendor. Instead, they can mix and match the LonWorks enabled products that best suit their needs—choosing from a variety of vendors—and know that they’ll all work together smoothly on the network.

With an open system, everybody wins:

• Manufacturers can expand their business and increase profit margins by competing in an open market that fosters—and rewards—quality and innovation.
• Integrators can offer customers more choices by specifying best-of-breed systems rather than single-vendor ones. They can also design and deploy systems more easily, since there are fewer components to integrate.
• End users can save money across the board: They can reduce system costs, since the open market fosters greater price competition; reduce product costs by building to a standard specification; and reduce life-cycle costs, from installation to expansion.

The Open Systems Alliance Program

Our Open Systems Alliance (OSA) program brings together manufacturers, integrators, resellers, and other companies to promote open control systems based on the LonWorks platform. OSA members, all experts in their fields, receive Echelon product discounts and marketing tools to help them bring the benefits of the LonWorks platform to users worldwide.