64|A FONDO world will need more light. It is expected that, due to an increment in the population and a strong development, an increment of 70% in points of light are expected. Secondly, illumination will have to be more energetically efficient because urban lighting is presently estimated in 19% of global energy use. Lastly, light will be digital; it is estimated that in 2019, there will be 224 million homes connected. Connected lighting Based on the tendencies mentioned above, the future of lighting calls for connectivity. A transition is taking place in the functionality of light, from simple lighting of a room to a complete digital world, where lighting connects the spaces, places, and people. Lighting represents today a new form of expression, of communicating, of relating, even of health improvement and personal well-being. Connecting LED technology with intelligent control systems, platforms, devices and applications offers more power to the user from three points of view: firstly, higher levels of energy efficiency in the installations are obtained; secondly, we find new and exciting experiences and uses for light; lastly, we gain improvements related to businesses (for example, better shopping experiences that lead to bigger sales). At the next Light+Building fair, that will take place on March 2006 in Frankfurt, connected lighting for buildings, cities and homes will be the epicenter of the technological innovations that will be presented, bringing the illumination of the future into the present. Commercial and public buildings are responsible for 60% of energy consumption on a global level. The new lighting solutions connected to the infrastructure services of the buildings brings benefits, from a maintenance point of view as well as environmentally; it can also give information on occupation and use of the different rooms of said spaces. The Edge, an office building located in Amsterdam, incorporated a new novel connected lighting system based on “Power-over-Ethernet” technology that connects light with the building’s network. The system generates an 80% reduction on the energy consumption in lighting and reduction of 10% in cleaning costs because the luminaries detect presence and can signal the maintenance services when they can access each space. Furthermore, due to personalized climate control and lighting for every workstation, productivity and comfort have increased in the employees. The Internet of Things in the urban environment In the area of cities, public lighting represents 50% of the energy bill of the city. Updating these infrastructures with the new urban lighting management systems, can yield energy savings higher than 70%, improve security and bring comfort to the cities. Many cities are already doing this. For example, Buenos Aires, a city that changing to LED technology in 91.000 points of light and adding the CityTouch system, has achieved important energy savings and a better control of its installations and its maintenance. In Spain, we have 40.000 points of light by remote management with this system, located in different spots of the geography, such as Barcelona, Palencia and Guadalajara. Simultaneously, thanks to the network of luminaries implemented in every city, these infrastructures can serve as support for other services, such as air quality sensors, or traffic sensors. At the moment, worldwide, only 10% of the 300 million points of light in our streets are LED and only 1% of those points are connected. The potential that can be drawn from these numbers id very high. On this line, Philips and SAP have signed a collaboration agreement that intends to unite information, in real time, of the public lighting, Updating the lighting infrastructures of cities with the new urban lighting management systems, can yield energy savings higher than 70%, improve security and bring comfort to the cities.