Over the past few months, many progressive contractors have told me that becoming increasingly involved in the Integrated Building Systems market has been one of their primary business goals––and it’s a step in the right direction. IBS is a unique field with specialized challenges and more contractors are discovering that installations in this area can be quite lucrative.

Businesses that want to grow and expand need to recognize that today’s market is combining the traditional with the new. Traditional electrical power is actively being integrated with low-voltage control and communication systems. More electrical contractors are adding value to their installations by partaking in IBS work such as CCTV, computer networking, multimedia and more. Power, communications and controls are converging very quickly into an integrated set of systems, and staying abreast of IBS installations will allow you to remain competitive in today’s ever-growing market.

If you are starved for new information about VDV/IBS, I encourage you to attend the fifth annual VDV/IBS Expo to take place March 10-12 in Las Vegas. This low-voltage trade show will present you with opportunities to meet with many of the leading manufacturers and distributors in the IBS arena. For a sneak peek of some of the new products that will be displayed, check out our product preview section starting on page 42.

If you would like to find out the latest trends in VDV cable management and how to choose the right system for your cabling installations, read contributor Darlene Bremer’s Focus on page 36. Though there haven’t been many “revolutionary” advances, there have been a few “evolutionary” changes that may prove more cost-effective for your business.

Investing in integrated systems knowledge will be worth every penny, so if you haven’t yet entered the IBS market, make sure to do so soon. You cannot afford to get left behind. Hope you enjoy the issue. EC

—STANIMIRA Z. STEFANOVA, Editor