Importantly, the deal is seen to give Johnson Controls access to Hitachi's VRF inverter air conditioning products and absorption chillers. Hitachi gains access to Johnson Controls' sales channels in the US, where the energy efficiency of VRF technology is expected to make it the dominant technology over traditional ducted systems. Last month, fellow Japanese manufacturer Daikin announced plans for a $410m US production base for its VRF technology. It is also thought that the deal with Johnson Controls will open up the Chinese market to Hitachi products.