This started in 1998 with the Division 17 initiative in the communications industry which was a grassroots effort to improve the process of integrating technology systems and infrstructures into buildings during the design phase versus the construction phase.

Support for this initiative grew throughout the US and Canada and has resulted in not one, but three new divisions in the 2004 edition of the MasterFormat.

The challenge now is for the communications and construction industries to learn to work together effectively and to learn from one another on how best to include communications systems and consultants in the process of designing and constructing modern buildings.

To help this process, organizations such as BICSI, NSCA, ICIA, SIA and CSI are leading the way by forging new alliances and agreements with one another.