BOMI will merge its 343-page Dictionary of the Built Environment, consisting of more than 4,500 terms, with the existing FMpedia, an on-line glossary for the facility management industry developed by the IFMA Foundation. BOMI’s contribution will amount to a 300% growth in the number of definitions currently available through FMpedia. The format will allow viewers to comment on individual entries and will standardize definitions of terms used in the international building and facility management professions.
Horn said that the expanded FMpedia “will allow people from all corners of the world to be on the same page” when it comes to using facility management and commercial real estate terms. “Standardizing the language, standardizing the definitions, that’s got to help everyone,” Horn explained.
Like Wikipedia, FMpedia will allow industry members to add entries, edit definitions, and comment on entries. “The FM community will help to define the lexicon of the built environment by adding and modifying definitions as the industry evolves,” Horn said. “FM professionals will be able to collaborate to build a consensus.”
“The IFMA Foundation is excited to have BOMI’s support for this venture and to see the current FMpedia glossary double in size,” said Will Rub, executive director of the IFMA Foundation. “FMpedia has been well received since its inception two years ago, and we look forward to the valuable input that BOMI users will bring.”
Eric Teicholz, head of the IFMA Foundation’s Knowledge Management Committee and developer of FMpedia, indicated that “the glossary has more than 3,000 registered users from about 25 countries. The web site currently receives more than 12,000 ‘hits’ per month, which should dramatically increase as BOMI’s users start to use the site.”
The IFMA Foundation is an FM-community supported organization committed to providing greater resources and educational opportunities to facility management professionals and those that support the FM industry. BOMI is a service provider, providing educational services to students and facility managers.
BOMI’s Dictionary was first published in 2005 and is currently available for $15. FMpedia is freely available to the entire FM community. The process of merging BOMI’s dictionary into the FMpedia database is expected to be completed by the end of November according to Michael Coleman, BOMI’s designation manager.
He said that the glossary will also appeal to professionals in related fields, such as realtors, building owners, maintenance managers, and those in any area that involves commercial real estate.
“Our goal is to benefit the entire industry,” he said.
About BOMI International
Founded in 1970 and located in Annapolis, Maryland, BOMI International is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization. As the primary educational resource for today’s top corporations, government agencies, property management firms, unions, and trade associations, BOMI’s goal is to work across industry sectors to improve the skills of professionals at many levels with property, facility, and systems responsibilities. BOMI is known for industry-standard designations-the Real Property Administrator (RPA®), the Facilities Management Administrator (FMA®), the Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA®), and the Systems Maintenance Technician (SMT®). More than 20,000 building professionals hold one or more BOMI designations, and nearly 80,000 students have turned to BOMI for premier education and training. For more information, or to register with BOMI International, visit www.bomi.org , or call 800-235-BOMI (2664).
About the IFMA Foundation
The IFMA Foundation promotes and supports scholarships, educational and research opportunities for the advancement of facility management worldwide. Established in 1990 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, the IFMA Foundation is supported by IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors.
