As the year of 2024 comes to an end, we sought insights from prominent figures across the Southeast Asian tech landscape. These leaders reflected on their triumphs throughout the year, sharing valuable perspectives on their achievements and the challenges they overcame. Furthermore, they unveiled their ambitious aspirations, meticulously outlined their strategic plans for 2025, and offered insightful predictions on the trajectory of the tech industry in the coming year.

We talked to Anu Rathninde, President, Asia Pacific, Johnson Controls to learn more about the company’s achievements in 2024, its plans and priorities in 2025. He also shared his views on the outlook of the tech ecosystem in Asia Pacific for the new year.

Johnson Controls is a world leader in smart buildings, creating safe, healthy and sustainable spaces. For nearly 140 years, the company said it made buildings better and now it is transforming them again with award-winning digital technologies and services.

Using artificial intelligence and data driven solutions to give you deeper insight into building’s health, sustainability and performance, the company said it is changing the way we design, operate and maintain indoor environments and driving to a new era of autonomous buildings.

Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology, software and services. Supported by a team of more than 100,000 dedicated employees working across 150 countries, it is helping customers achieve their sustainability goals and power their mission.

1. How was Johnson Controls’ 2024?

Overall, 2024 has been a year of transformation and impact—not just for Johnson Controls, but also for the communities and industries we serve. A key highlight has been the significant strides we have made in leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize building performance.

Our focus on digital innovation has enabled us to provide real-time insights and predictive analytics. For example, our OpenBlue platform continues to innovate and incorporate advanced AI-driven algorithms. The platform now has integrated generative AI tools that proactively recommend the most impactful energy savings projects, reducing the need to analyze large amounts of building data. The system anticipates needs, like analyzing energy usage based on live weather data, to create actionable insights, helping customers achieve energy savings and reduction in carbon emissions.

From an industry perspective, we have been at the forefront of helping our customers navigate key trends such as the growing emphasis on decarbonization, regulatory compliance, and the push toward net-zero buildings. By aligning with these trends and continuing to innovate, we have reinforced our position as a trusted partner in delivering cutting-edge technology solutions for the built environment.

2. What are your expectations/aspirations for 2025?

We envision 2025 to be a year when bold action and innovation will separate the leaders from the laggards in sustainability and smart building technologies. Our aspiration is to lead the change, not just in response to market demands but as the driving force behind the next generation of intelligent, energy-efficient spaces. Many buildings still operate with inefficiencies that we frankly cannot afford anymore—outdated HVAC systems, disconnected technologies, and inefficient data centers guzzling energy. If companies do not make the leap to smarter, more sustainable operations, they will be left behind.

With increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and meet net-zero commitments, businesses and governments alike are looking for solutions that go beyond quick fixes. The market is no longer satisfied with incremental change; the time for bold, scalable action is now.

We expect customers to demand more than piecemeal solutions. They are looking for partners who can solve big problems in holistic and integrated manner, and who can manage from full lifecycle perspective, like cutting emissions at scale or future-proofing facilities against rising energy costs and regulatory pressure. This is where Johnson Controls thrives.

Through our OpenBlue platform, we are not just building smarter systems; we are making buildings come alive with intelligence, giving customers the tools to predict, adapt, and optimize in ways they could not before.

That is why we are doubling down on bold moves: pushing for integrated building systems that deliver real ROI, championing decarbonization with predictive AI tools, and embracing digital twins that turn data into actionable insights.

At Johnson Controls, we are not just about technology for technology’s sake. Because when we get this right, we are not just improving operations, but transforming the spaces where people live, work, and thrive.

3. What are Johnson Controls’ plans in 2025 for Asia Pacific/Southeast Asia? What is the focus in the new year?

In 2025, Johnson Controls will continue driving forward its mission to be the leader in smart building solutions in Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Our strategy revolves around creating safe, healthy, and sustainable spaces where people can thrive. We are committed to using our connected, data-driven solutions, such as our OpenBlue digital platform, to deliver energy-efficient buildings that reduce emissions while enhancing operational efficiency for our customers. OpenBlue leverages data from connected systems to provide real-time insights, enabling our clients to optimize their building lifecycle, improve performance, and lower costs.

In addition, we are positioning ourselves as a leader in commercial building solutions by focusing on long-term customer relationships and lifecycle service. Johnson Controls’ ability to offer comprehensive solutions—from system installation to ongoing service contracts—creates a unique value proposition. For example, in critical infrastructures like data center space, we ensure speed to market and service with a comprehensive 4-step delivery model that includes need assessment, solutioning, execution, and proactive service.

With professional teams, dedicated data center support, fast response, and full lifecycle project management, this approach guarantees continuous improvement across the lifecycle of data center projects. By leveraging data-driven insights, we help reduce risks, improve turnaround times, and provide end-to-end solutions for streamlined operations.

As we move forward, we aim to expand our presence across high-growth sectors such as data centers, while also capitalizing on retrofit opportunities in aging buildings, and serving our customers through innovative and comprehensive solutions like “Cooling as a Service (CaaS)” model, which focuses on delivering outcomes rather than just equipment, and offers sustainable and hassle-free cooling experience.

4. What is the outlook for 2025 for tech ecosystem in Asia Pacific/Southeast Asia?

The tech ecosystem in Asia Pacific is poised for significant growth in 2025, with sustainability taking center stage. The region’s digital transformation is happening at a blistering pace, and businesses are waking up to the reality that sustainability and innovation must go hand in hand.

This is where AI becomes a game-changer. AI is not just an efficiency tool anymore—it is essential for making smarter, more sustainable decisions that will shape the future of industries across the board. From data centers to hospitals and airports, building owners are leveraging AI-driven insights to make smarter, more impactful decisions on energy consumption and resource management.

As Asia Pacific continues to position itself as a global hub for technological innovation, the focus is shifting from simply adopting AI to embedding it into the fabric of business operations. AI-driven solutions are becoming indispensable to meet sustainability targets, especially as organizations look for ways to decarbonize their infrastructure and optimize energy use.

According to IDC, sustainable AI will be top priority for enterprises. Organizations will increasingly invest in AI technologies designed with sustainability in mind, focusing on energy efficiency, resource optimization, and waste reduction.

 

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