Siemens Smart Infrastructure turned to Microsoft to develop a cloud-based means of boosting IoT for buildings, a collaboration the companies tipped to deliver a big boost for integration by improving interoperability.

The Siemens unit is combining its Building X digital structure platform with Microsoft’s Azure IoT Operations, a product it noted would enable edge devices to be connected while integrating data.

Siemens stated the combination would boost organisations’ ability to make the most of IoT settings in commercial buildings, data centres and higher education facilities.

It pointed to temperature, pressure and indoor air quality as possible metrics set to benefit from the tie-up with Microsoft. Companies could develop energy monitoring and space optimisation systems, Siemens predicted.

Siemens and Microsoft are working to make their set-up compatible with standards including W3C, Web of Things and Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture.

“With IoT data often being siloed, this level of transparency is a game-changer”, Siemens Smart Infrastructure buildings CEO Susanne Seitz said.

Siemens and Microsoft plan to launch the interoperable set-up within the next six months.