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Johnson Controls acquires FogHorn, expanding leadership in Smart and Autonomous Buildings

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On January 12, 2022, Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) announced the acquisition of FogHorn, a leading developer of Edge AI software for industrial and commercial IoT solutions. This acquisition aims to integrate FogHorn's edge AI technology into Johnson Controls' OpenBlue smart buildings platform, enhancing real-time data processing capabilities. The financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to accelerate Johnson Controls' vision of creating smart, autonomous buildings. Key personnel from FogHorn will join Johnson Controls to support this integration.

Positive
  • Acquisition of FogHorn enhances Johnson Controls' capabilities in Edge AI for smart buildings.
  • Integration of FogHorn's technology is expected to accelerate the development of smart, autonomous buildings.
  • Addition of FogHorn's CTO to Johnson Controls' team strengthens leadership in AI initiatives.
Negative
  • None.

CORK, Ireland, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has completed the acquisition of FogHorn, the leading developer of Edge AI software for the industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Johnson Controls acquires Foghorn's world-class Edge AI for its OpenBlue smart buildings platform. 

"Value is increasingly being created by applying intelligence at the edge-device level to create real-time, secure, actionable insights," said Johnson Controls CTO Vijay Sankaran. "By pervasively integrating Foghorn's world class Edge AI throughout our OpenBlue solution portfolio, we are accelerating the pace towards our vision of smart, autonomous buildings that continuously learn, adapt and automatically respond to the needs of the environment and people."

As the number of sensors and amount of data in buildings continues to grow exponentially, the value of processing data and applying intelligence at the edge, without having to send data to the cloud, becomes increasingly pronounced.

Sastry Malladi, who served as Chief Technology Officer at Foghorn, will join Johnson Controls, reporting to Sankaran as Vice President, OpenBlue Artificial Intelligence.

"We are thrilled to bring the Foghorn team and edge AI capabilities to Johnson Controls and OpenBlue," said Sastry Malladi, Foghorn's Chief Technology Officer. "By combining our respective strengths, Johnson Controls can make an even bigger impact on continuing to address some of the world's most pressing challenges of decarbonization, sustainability and energy efficiency, indoor air quality and smart, secure buildings."

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. FogHorn's technical team will be integrated into the OpenBlue Solutions organization. FogHorn's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California will function as an 'AI Hub' for Johnson Controls.

About Johnson Controls:

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. 

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About FogHorn
FogHorn is a leading developer of edge AI software for industrial and commercial IoT application solutions. FogHorn's software platform brings the power of advanced analytics and machine learning to the on-premises edge environment enabling a new class of applications for advanced monitoring and diagnostics, machine performance optimization, proactive maintenance, and operational intelligence use cases. FogHorn's technology is ideally suited for OEMs, systems integrators and end customers in manufacturing, power and water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, transportation, healthcare, retail, as well as smart grid, smart city, smart building, and connected vehicle applications.

JOHNSON CONTROLS CONTACTS:




INVESTOR CONTACTS:                                             

MEDIA CONTACTS:



Antonella Franzen                                                       

Chaz Bickers

Direct: 609.720.4665                                                   

Direct: 224.307.0655

Email: antonella.franzen@jci.com                                 

Email: charles.norman.bickers@jci.com



Ryan Edelman                                                             

Michael Isaac

Direct: 609.720.4545                                                   

Direct: +41 52 6330374

Email: ryan.edelman@jci.com                                       

Email: michael.isaac@jci.com

Johnson Controls International plc Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Johnson Controls International plc has made statements in this communication regarding the acquisition of Silent-Aire that are forward-looking and therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are, or could be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this communication, statements regarding Johnson Controls' future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, synergies and integration opportunities, capital expenditures and debt levels are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" and terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Johnson Controls cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Johnson Controls' control, that could cause the expected impact of the acquisition of Silent-Aire to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, include, among others, risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, including the possibility that expected synergies will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time frame; delays in the successful integration of Silent-Aire; unfavorable reaction to the acquisition by customers, competitors, suppliers and employees, disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; significant transaction costs; and unknown liabilities.

Other factors that could cause Johnson Controls' actual results to differ materially from those expressed include, among others risks related to: Johnson Controls' ability to manage general economic, business, capital market and geopolitical conditions, including the impacts of natural disasters, climate change, pandemics and outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the strength of the U.S. or other economies; changes or uncertainty in laws, regulations, rates, policies or interpretations that impact Johnson Controls' business operations or tax status; the ability to develop or acquire new products and technologies that achieve market acceptance; changes to laws or policies governing foreign trade, including increased tariffs or trade restrictions; maintaining the capacity, reliability and security of Johnson Controls' enterprise and product information technology infrastructure; the risk of infringement or expiration of intellectual property rights; any delay or inability of Johnson Controls to realize the expected benefits and synergies of recent portfolio transactions such as its merger with Tyco and the disposition of the Power Solutions business;  the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; the ability to hire and retain key senior management; the tax treatment of recent portfolio transactions; significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities associated with such transactions; the availability of raw materials and component products; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; work stoppages, union negotiations, labor disputes and other matters associated with the labor force; the cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements.  A detailed discussion of risks related to Johnson Controls' business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Johnson Controls' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2020 fiscal year filed with the SEC on November 16, 2020, which is available at www.sec.gov and www.johnsoncontrols.com under the "Investors" tab. Shareholders, potential investors and others should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Johnson Controls assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this communication.

Non-GAAP Financial Information
The Company's press release contains financial information regarding adjusted earnings per share, which is a non-GAAP performance measure. The adjusting items include transaction costs, integration costs and deal amortization. Management may use this metric as a guide in forecasting, budgeting and long-term planning processes and for compensation purposes. This metric should be considered in addition to, and not as replacements for, the most comparable GAAP measure.

Johnson Controls Logo. (PRNewsFoto/JOHNSON CONTROLS, INC.) (PRNewsFoto/)

 

 

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SOURCE Johnson Controls International plc

FAQ

What is the significance of Johnson Controls' acquisition of FogHorn?

The acquisition is significant as it enhances Johnson Controls' Edge AI capabilities, supporting the development of smart, autonomous buildings.

When did Johnson Controls acquire FogHorn?

Johnson Controls announced the acquisition of FogHorn on January 12, 2022.

What impact will the acquisition of FogHorn have on Johnson Controls' OpenBlue platform?

The acquisition is expected to integrate FogHorn's technology into the OpenBlue platform, improving real-time data processing and operational efficiency.

Who will lead the Edge AI initiatives at Johnson Controls after the acquisition?

Sastry Malladi, the former CTO of FogHorn, will join Johnson Controls as Vice President of OpenBlue Artificial Intelligence.

Johnson Controls International plc

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