Reimagining Operational Technology with UDMI: Building a Future of Self-Aware, Continuously Commissioning Buildings

Over the past two decades, digital innovation has transformed the construction sector.? BIM (Building Information Modelling) and Industry-wide open data standards have transformed collaboration, quality, and project outcomes. Now, these same principles of standardisation and data-driven insights are poised to revolutionise operational buildings.

With AI's transformative capability, we see a future of self-aware, continuously commissioning buildings optimised for their purpose and the people who work within them. To make this happen, we need unified OT device management and meaningful data standards—the areas UDMI and semantic frameworks are designed to address.

In this post, we’ll explore why the pioneering architects of UDMI at Google refer to UDMI as the “HTML” of building systems, how semantic standards offer the essential “content,” and why operational telemetry completes the picture. We’ll also discuss Tyrrell Products’ role in delivering UDMI interoperability and OT data analytics, which are driving us closer to the vision of self-adaptive buildings.

From BIM to Operational Data: Lessons from Construction Digitisation

In construction, the evolution of BIM and Digital Engineering revolutionised how designers, engineers, and contractors work together:

1. A Common Digital Language Before BIM, teams relied on fragmented software tools with no consistent naming conventions. BIM introduced a shared digital representation, enabling more coordinated designs and fewer on-site clashes.
2. Classification Systems & Open Standards Frameworks like Uniclass, COBie, OmniClass, and IFC provide a universal way to classify, exchange, and interpret building data. This unlocked new levels of efficiency and collaboration.
3. Innovation through Interoperability Freed from vendor-specific constraints, the industry adopted best-in-class tools for clash detection, energy modelling, and more—demonstrating how open standards boost creativity and performance.

Much like BIM and Digital Engineering unified the AEC process, the operational phase now needs a standardised approach that accommodates real-time telemetry and ensures devices can interoperate seamlessly.

The Operational Technology Challenge: Fragmented Devices and Data

While construction embraced digitisation standards, operational technology (OT) in buildings has lagged behind. Systems for HVAC, lighting, access control and more often use proprietary protocols, resulting in: -

• Interoperability Barriers – Lock-in with specific manufacturers or integrators.
• Fragmented Telemetry – Real-time sensor data (temperature, occupancy, air quality, etc.) often remains siloed and inconsistently formatted.
• Underutilised Insights – Without a consistent semantic understanding and data labelling, advanced analytics or AI solutions struggle to draw meaningful conclusions from diverse OT data streams.

We’re effectively in a pre-BIM environment for OT, where a standard approach could transform building sustainability, safety, and occupant well-being.

UDMI: The Universal Device Management Interface

UDMI—initially conceived by Google, aims to address this fragmentation by defining a universal framework for how building devices share data and are managed in IoT-centric or cloud-based environments. Rather than replacing protocols like BACnet or Modbus, UDMI overlays them with a vendor-neutral layer to:

1. Streamline Communication Building owners can integrate devices from different vendors without interoperability concerns.
2. Standardise Management & Provisioning A single, consistent discovery, configuration, and monitoring process—vital at large scale.
3. Enforce Security & Governance Uniform guidelines for device identity, secure connections, and access control.
4. Accelerate Innovation By providing one interface for operational data and control signals, UDMI lets developers deploy analytics or AI-driven services across varied device ecosystems.

UDMI as “HTML”

One of UDMI’s architects described it as “HTML for building systems.” Just as HTML defines the structure that all web browsers understand (regardless of site design or content), UDMI standardises how building devices and platforms exchange OT device data and information. It sets the rules for communication while allowing individual protocols or manufacturers to handle specifics underneath.

However, as with a webpage, structure alone doesn’t convey the whole picture. We also need semantic content that explains what the data means and how to interpret it.

Semantic Standards: The “Content” Layer

If UDMI is the “HTML,” frameworks like BRICK, BDNS, and Project Haystack provide the “website content.” They define the actual meaning of the data being exchanged:

• BRICK – Outlines relationships between devices and spaces (e.g. “This temperature sensor is linked to an air handling unit that serves the second-floor lobby”).
• BDNS – A building data naming standard that ensures consistency in labelling points across various systems.
• Project Haystack – A widely adopted tagging system for machine-readable definitions of building data.

These standards allow both people and AI algorithms to interpret data points consistently. Together with UDMI, they ensure devices not only communicate but also agree on what they’re talking about—essential for advanced analytics, digital twins, and understandable sensory environments.

The Role of Telemetry: Completing the Picture

Operational telemetry—the continuous stream of time-series data from sensors, meters, and actuators—is the raw material for AI-driven insights. UDMI ensures this telemetry follows a common structural format, while semantic standards provide context around each data point. When combined:

1. Enhanced Analytics – Standardised telemetry allows advanced algorithms to spot patterns (e.g., equipment failures or energy spikes).
2. Real-Time Optimisation – AI-driven systems can dynamically adjust HVAC or lighting in response to occupancy and environmental changes.
3. Continuously Commissioned Buildings – With a clear stream of labelled telemetry, buildings can remain self-aware, detecting deviations from design intent and proactively recalibrating.

Tyrrell Products: Delivering UDMI and OT Data Analytics

At Tyrrell Products, we are working with innovators, early adopters, and Google’s original UDMI architects to:

1. Provide UDMI Interoperability – Our software products bridge legacy OT protocols, translating them into UDMI-compliant data streams.
2. Implement Semantic Standards – We integrate BRICK, BDNS, or Haystack to label and contextualise real-time telemetry, ensuring data consistency across sites.
3. Offer OT Data Analytics—Our platforms deliver actionable insights, and we are developing AI-enabled technology to identify maintenance needs, optimise energy usage, and enhance occupant wellbeing.

By combining UDMI with semantic data standards and operational telemetry, Tyrrell Products aims to help enable the future of self-aware, continually commissioning buildings that are optimised for their design intent and the people who occupy them. ???

IoT Retrofits & Building Sensory Environments: A Phased Approach

Most building owners face existing infrastructures that can’t be replaced overnight. We recommend:

• Gateway Devices – Convert proprietary or outdated protocols into UDMI-based frameworks, preserving investments in current hardware.
• Progressive Upgrades – Plan a roadmap for systematically introducing UDMI and semantic standards without disrupting daily operations.
• Staff Training & Change Management – Equip facilities teams with knowledge of new tools and best practices for device onboarding, telemetry security, and data analytics.

Empowering AI & Digital Twins

Once data is consistently structured (UDMI) and labelled (semantic standards), we can fully leverage AI and digital twin technologies:

1. Predictive Maintenance Algorithms detect subtle performance shifts, flagging issues before they escalate.
2. Adaptive Energy Management Real-time monitoring and forecasting allow dynamic adjustments to HVAC and lighting schedules, reducing costs and carbon footprints.
3. Enhanced Occupant Experience Systems can automatically fine-tune temperature, ventilation, or lighting based on user feedback and actual usage patterns, leading to a more comfortable environment.

Conclusion

BIM dramatically improved the design and construction phases by enforcing common data structures and open standards. ?UDMI, Data Standards and OT promise to do the same for operational buildings.

At Tyrrell Products, we see the evolution of UDMI and semantic standards as critical to the built environment’s digital transformation. By aligning device communication, real-time sensory data, and Building Control Systems under open, vendor-neutral frameworks, our vision is to…

“Reimagine buildings not as static structures but as self-aware, continuously evolving environments.

Enable AI to create purpose-driven spaces that adapt to people’s needs, operate sustainably, and fulfil the intent for which they were designed.

Together, we can build a future where every facility is safe, efficient, and truly alive with intelligence."

We invite owners, integrators, and technology partners to join us in transforming OT practices. By embracing UDMI, semantic standards, and robust telemetry management, we can create buildings that truly adapt, optimise, and sustain themselves—delivering on the promise of digital twins, AI-driven insights, and a more responsible future for us all.

Article by Richard Scott, CTO | TBT Group