Cloud Platform vs. Cloud Solution: Differences and Added Value for Building Operations

The real estate sector is increasingly embracing digitization, leveraging its benefits to address contemporary challenges effectively. While this shift has led to a surge in innovative solutions by startups, PropTechs, and ConTechs, it has also resulted in a market flooded with proprietary standalone applications. These singular cloud solutions address specific building-related issues but often create inefficiencies due to limited interoperability and vendor lock-ins. This article highlights the differences between cloud platforms and cloud solutions, explaining how a unified approach can make the digitization of the real estate sector both efficient and comprehensible.

Cloud Solutions: Targeted Problem Solving

Modern buildings require technical solutions to meet operational demands, and many PropTechs provide focused cloud solutions designed for specific use cases. These solutions offer optimized usability and address particular problems effectively, such as enhancing tenant satisfaction, increasing operational efficiency, or supporting sustainability goals.

While these targeted tools are effective within their scope, they often lack a holistic view. This singular focus can result in fragmented systems that fail to address the larger, interconnected needs of building operations.

Cloud Platforms: A Holistic Approach

A cloud platform acts as a unifying system that integrates and centralizes all building-related cloud solutions. This approach allows for collaborative functionality across different systems, creating synergy and improving overall efficiency.

Key advantages of cloud platforms include:

• Comprehensive Data Integration: By collecting and consolidating all building data, a cloud platform provides a holistic overview of operations.
• Interoperability: Non-proprietary cloud solutions can be seamlessly integrated, eliminating the need for multiple standalone interfaces.
• Advanced Analytics: Using AI-powered analysis, cloud platforms enable actionable insights that extend beyond the capabilities of singular solutions.

Singular Use Cases vs. Comprehensive Analyses

Standalone cloud solutions excel in addressing specific use cases but often fall short in providing actionable insights that span multiple systems. For example:

• A cloud-based app for reporting building maintenance issues focuses solely on tenant satisfaction.
• However, a cloud platform could use data from the same app, combined with equipment data, to identify and predict larger system inefficiencies.

By integrating singular solutions into a centralized platform, building operators gain access to automated processes and holistic analyses that improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Conclusion: The Need for Cloud Platforms

While standalone cloud solutions are valuable for solving specific problems, their full potential is realized when integrated into a comprehensive cloud platform. A cloud platform serves as an overarching ecosystem for all digital solutions in a building, making data accessible, analyzable, and actionable. It acts as a digital standard for both new constructions and existing buildings, providing a foundation for seamless collaboration and unmatched operational efficiency.