Johnson Controls software development lab impacts local businesses and consumers
| Published: 11/03/2004 |
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Johnson Controls, Inc., the Milwaukee-based global leader in facility management and control, pledged $1 million to the Milwaukee School of Engineering for the development of a software engineering lab, with the vision of uniting academia and industry for the development of real-world software applications.
Since its creation, the Johnson Controls Software Engineering Lab has initiated several projects for both internal and external clients ranging from the Hunger Task Force to Johnson Controls' customers. A ceremony held on October 22, 2004, marked the official dedication of the lab from Johnson Controls to MSOE. Following, MSOE faculty gave lab tours to attendees, outlining current projects that will offer real software solutions to local businesses and residents.
The following projects are currently active in the lab:
- Transaction processing server (TPS) with eFunds: This project began as a collaborative effort between the Hunger Task Force and MSOE to support the use of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards in farmers markets. Customers can use this electronic equivalent of "food stamps" to make their purchases from market vendors - much like using a debit card. The TPS project will allow for easy and efficient transactions for both farmers market vendors and their customers.
- MSOE Course Database: The goal of this project is to implement an online course database system at MSOE. MSOE faculty and staff will soon be able to easily andefficiently edit course data online, increasing display functionality on course requirements and offerings. When finished, MSOE faculty, staff and students will benefit from the accessibility and convenience of the online database.
- Palm User Interface project with Johnson Controls: The implementation of this software technology would allow building administrators or managers to use a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) instead of a computer, to interact with various building system controllers, saving building managers countless hours and decreasing the need for costly equipment. MSOE students involved in this project are developing a software system capable of translating the output of HVAC Pro, a Johnson Controls building management product, into a dynamic user interface for Palm Operating System-based PDA.
- Leia: This project began in an effort to develop an MSOE internal planning database tool for comparing estimated time and resources initially projected for a project, against actual time and resources spent on a project. Although originally designed for MSOE, this database, when finished, can also be utilized by other universities or businesses looking to streamline project management.