The names Johnson Controls and Tyco International don’t generate the kind of excitement buzzing around some companies in the Internet of Things, but the merger they announced Monday might have a big impact on that market.

Both are far older than the army of startups that has formed around IoT, and they make equipment that until recently faded into the background. Tyco supplies security, fire and surveillance systems, while Johnson is big in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and platforms for managing all the systems in a building.

Those humble systems, which the tech industry has never paid much mind, are now at the heart of new efforts to make buildings more connected, efficient and comfortable.

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