It started with a simple idea: there is power in integrated information. Forty years later, that statement is truer than ever.
On September 17, 1984, in a back room of his house in Houston, FM:Systems founder Michael Schley powered up the first iteration of FM:Systems technology. That application, known simply as FM:Forecast, helped facility planners determine the quantity and character of their company’s current and future space needs, thus ensuring that they would have sufficient space to accommodate growth and efficient operations. Fast forward 40 years and FM:Systems technology has evolved and expanded to help facilities and real estate professionals optimize every facet of their real estate portfolio.
Key Milestones in FM:Systems History
Today, FM:Systems solutions are trusted by more than 1,200 customers in 80 countries to manage over 3 billion square feet of office space. Here’s a look at how we got here.
1986-1998
A key achievement early in the company’s life was the partnership with the American Institute of Architects to sell this new software to their membership. In 1986 the company moved to Washington DC, Schley completed programming the first version of FM:Forecast, and the first license for use of the technology was sold.
In 1989, FM:Systems set down roots in Raleigh, North Carolina and hired the company’s first permanent staff. Over the next six years, the company and its technology expanded strategically in size, scope, and capability. Space management, lease, and property functionality was added to the software and the DOS version of FM:Systems products was phased out in favor of a Windows-based solution. Meanwhile, the number of full-time staff at FM:Systems increased to eight.
As the internet age dawned, Schley and his team started working on a version of the FM:Systems solution that would leverage the power of information transmission and exchange that the worldwide web represented. In 1998, FM:Web was released. Four years later, that solution was rebranded as FM:Interact to reflect the fact that users could interact with the increasingly-sophisticated system over the internet.
2000-2013
Over the next decade, FM:Systems focused on growing the capabilities of its FM:Interact solution, adding dynamic support for Autodesk Design Web Format files. The company also added project management capabilities, introduced Building Information Modeling integration and released a sustainability module. During this period, FM:Systems also embarked on a major staff expansion.
In 2013, recognizing the growing popularity of cellphone-based applications, FM:Systems launched FM:Mobile. The company also added scenario planning to its suite of solutions and relocated to a new headquarters location in the Raleigh area. Over the next four years, the company would achieve record growth and expand its offerings to include hosting and software-as-a-service options.
2017-2021
In early 2017, FM:Systems secured a growth equity investment from Accel-KKR, kicking off a period of expansion through strategic acquisitions. For example, the company gained advanced workspace analytics capabilities through its acquisition of Rifiniti in July 2019 and, just a few months later, acquired Asure Software’s workspace management portfolio of products. Then in 2021, FM:Systems bought WizzPass, adding best-in-class visitor management technology to its platform.
2023-Beyond
The company reversed roles from acquirer to acquiree in July of 2023, when Johnson Controls bought FM:Systems to expand its OpenBlue digital buildings capabilities.
In April 2024, FM:Systems celebrated 40 years of driving innovation in workplace management with the opening of its new headquarters now located in Raleigh Iron Works. The new location has been meticulously designed to meet the company’s unique needs as a business, providing the right mix of spaces for its team members, customers, and partners to connect, collaborate, and work when together in-person. More than a workplace, the company’s new home also serves as a showcase for the cutting-edge technology it has developed and acquired since its humble beginnings in 1984.
Today, as part of OpenBlue by Johnson Controls, FM:Systems is the leading smart building technology ecosystem that makes it possible for organizations to unlock a triple bottom-line by creating spaces that save money, are healthy for people, and help save the planet. As a trusted partner to the world’s largest organizations, the company transforms buildings from physical to smart, living entities that respond to the changing needs of employees, themselves, and the environment.
Forty years is a long time, but for FM:Systems it’s just the beginning. Together, FM:Systems and Johnson Controls are continuing to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in workplace management, smart buildings, and a push toward an autonomous buildings future.
