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IOT vs BMS - What's the Difference?

Smarter monitoring, without the heavy lift.

IOT vs BMS
What's the Difference?

01

Overview

Building Management Systems (BMS) have long been the backbone of large sites, controlling HVAC, lighting and other core building systems. But they come with high upfront costs, long install times, and limited visibility at room level.
 

IoT-based monitoring flips the model: lightweight, wireless sensors stream live insights to the cloud — deployed in days, not months. It complements existing BMS where present, but also opens advanced monitoring to sites that could never justify a full BMS.

02

For too long, advanced monitoring has only been available to the biggest buildings. IoT changes that. With retrofit, battery-powered sensors you can:

01

Room-Level Insight

Get visibility beyond the plant room — monitor temperature, CO₂, humidity, lighting, power use and space utilisation where people actually work and live.

02

Real-Time Detection

Instead of waiting for monthly reports or tenant complaints, see problems as they happen — from systems running out of hours to air quality drifting out of range.

03

Anywhere Access

Log in from any device to see live maps, trends and alerts. Share read-only views with tenants or operators, with all data encrypted end to end.

04

Portfolio-Ready Scalability

Wireless, battery-powered sensors fit in minutes and can be moved as needs change, making it practical to roll out monitoring across multiple buildings quickly.

03

Who is IOT for?

  • Landlords & FM teams who want portfolio-wide visibility without replacing existing controls.

  • Tenants who want reassurance on comfort and indoor air quality.

  • Operators looking to extend monitoring across mixed building types at scale.

Image by Quentin Schulz

04

The differences between IOT and BMS at a glance 

Installation

  • BMS: Complex, high-cost projects tied to refurbishments.

  • IoT: Retrofit wireless sensors fitted in minutes, no rewiring.

Scope

  • BMS: Focused on central building systems like boilers, chillers and AHUs.

  • IoT: Adds room and circuit-level visibility - comfort, occupancy, IAQ, energy use.

Flexibility 

  • BMS: Fixed once commissioned; changes need engineers.

  • IoT: Add, move or reconfigure sensors quickly as needs evolve.

Cost

  • BMS: Large capex plus ongoing support contracts.

  • IoT: Subscription-based, affordable per site.

Analytics

  • BMS: Focused on alarms and central system control.

  • IoT: Built for real-time analytics, trend views, and predictive maintenance.

User Experience

  • BMS: Designed for engineers; steep learning curves.

  • IoT: Simple dashboards for FM teams, operators, even tenants.

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