“Smart Living-as-a-Service” innovator is transforming the multifamily connectivity paradigm with Aruba ESP, Central and UXI

完成其革命性的新的商业模式for supplying Smart Living-as-a-Service (SLaaS) in multifamily housing, Homebase needed a wired and wireless networking partner.

“We set out to create the industry’s first hubless smart building solution to help apartment owners and managers automate their facilities while delivering connectivity-as-a-service to residents,” explains Blake Miller, Founder and CEO of the Kansas City, Missouri, company. “To achieve our goals we needed to provide always-on internet, which required a comprehensive wired and wireless solution capable of integrating with our mobile-phone-as-a-gateway, app-based approach.”

Technologies + Expertise Make Aruba the Right Partner

Dedicated to making the Internet a fifth utility for multifamily communities, Homebase is rapidly partnering with apartment owners to assemble a portfolio of smart apartment complexes scattered across North America. To do so, the company not only required a cloud-managed, reliable, secure and scalable wired and wireless networking solution, but also intuitive tools that empowered business users to resolve networking issues in real time.

在评估了领先的选择后，Homebase决定与惠普（Hewlett Packard）企业公司Aruba合作。米勒说：“除了提供一套可靠的API，以与我们的面向客户的应用程序和Wi-Fi访问点集成，并具有内置的蓝牙和Zigbee的物联网连接性，我们对管道中的许多创新都印象深刻。”

他补充说：“也许最重要的是，阿鲁巴团队立即掌握了我们的愿景，并帮助我们确定了哪些技术才能实现。”“通过向我们的业务展示这种热情，即使在我们选择阿鲁巴之前，我们就知道合作伙伴关系是正确的。”

阿鲁巴ESP Powers Superior SLaaS Experiences

For its network powered by the Aruba Edge Services Platform (ESP), Homebase selected Aruba’sindoor and outdoor Wi-Fi 6 access points (APs)along withRemote Access Points (RAPs)，，，，2930F Switch Seriesand3810开关系列。

The Homebase infrastructure also includes阿鲁巴中央，用于基于云的基于云的网络管理，建立在云本地微服务架构上，并Aruba用户体验洞察力(UXI) sensors，，，，for continuously monitoring and testing the network from a user perspective.

米勒说：“我们的部署模型为建筑物中的每间公寓提供了Wi-Fi的设施。”“此外，我们介绍了室内和室外公共区域，以帮助简化设施管理。建立单个网络的这种策略还使物业经理为其员工提供了连接。”

Wi-Fi as Utility for Residents; Increased Profitability for Owners

与目前的范式不同，居民搬进来，然后与ISP联系以进行连通性，当一个人进入新家时，由家庭基础供电的建筑物提供了Wi-Fi，就像打开灯光或喝水一样。

Using the Homebase app, residents can access everything in their home, ranging from locks to appliances. “One of our buildings, ‘Flashcube米勒说：“在堪萨斯城，甚至提供了一个互联的葡萄酒分配器，该分配器会自动将购买添加到居民的帐户中。”

New residents are granted access to a premium tier of Wi-Fi for a select amount of time, which enables them to test out the Homebase solution, and then are prompted by the app to select a subscription plan.

“使用情况数据ated by Central, we determined a substantial percentage of residents opt for the premium subscription tier once their trial period ends, others choose a lower tier and only few opt-out,” says RaeAnn Lovall, Chief People Officer for Homebase. “We can also use the data we gather to help owners maximize tier pricing.”

New revenue, enhanced efficiency, automated maintenance and risk reduction

From a building owner perspective, the SLaaS model not only supplies a considerable new revenue stream but also enhances efficiencies with the Homebase app. This includes anywhere, anytime management of physical access controls and security cameras in common areas and community spaces, such as gyms, pools and movie facilities.

米勒说：“拥有一个强大的网络，所有这些功能都可以为财产所有人节省资金，同时还可以确保他们有一个较少的供应商需要担心。”

In addition, the Homebase app streamlines and automates maintenance, saving an average of 20 minutes per ticket. “For example, after a unit’s smart thermostat runs for a certain number of hours the app can notify management the HVAC filter needs changing, automatically order the part for direct shipment to the appropriate unit and notify the resident,” says Miller.

Such maintenance automation can also drive down risks and reduce associated insurance costs. “If an IoT plumbing sensor detects a water-related issue, a timely notification via the app can eliminate a catastrophic event,” Miller says.

Saving 120 minutes per unit turn during move out/move in

According to Lovall, building owners and managers especially appreciate the app during move out/move in periods, which helps them save 120 minutes per unit turn on average.

她说：“当多个单元同时翻开时，与传统的手动过程相比，使用一些水龙头卸下前乘员并在新机器上降低了成本和提高效率。”

“Overall, we’re not only streamlining building control but also enabling the management of more units without added staffing overhead,” says Lovall.

Cloud Management Key to Speed and Agility

The benefits to Homebase are also numerous, ranging from sales to troubleshooting. “Using Aruba’s reliable and secure infrastructure enables us to lean on its networking expertise as we develop new business models for property owners.“ Miller says.

Although Homebase uses a standardized building deployment, it’s not one-size-fits-all as their networking solution supplies flexibility in situations where a resident requires more coverage. “Central’s cloud-based management enables quickly configuring and installing an RAP to extend the network as needed,” Lovall says.

Network management is also simplified. “Central’s intuitive dashboard enables a single business user to support multiple buildings,” says Lovall. “We can easily adjust configurations such as bandwidth and device limits to effectively manage performance across buildings with hundreds of users, each of whom has multiple devices.”

Troubleshooting is also streamlined. “When we receive a support ticket from a resident or building owner we can frequently resolve it in just a few minutes,” says Paul Schultz, Director of Client Success. “This assists us with supplying exceptional customer service.”

Scaling the Deployment for Superior Experiences and Performance

随着它继续增长并向多户行业推出新的SLAAS产品，Homebase期待利用现有和新兴的Aruba解决方案。

近期，该公司打算部署UXI传感器，以进一步优化和故障排除其Wi-Fi基础架构。米勒说：“对用户和设备体验的集中看法对于保持客户满意度和我们的间接费用至关重要。”

另一个项目是部署Aruba Airpass，以促进从5G蜂窝网络到Wi-Fi的无缝设备切换。“我们正在与5G一起积极合作，并考虑如何部署AirPass进行平滑过渡。”

Innovating rapidly to continue transforming the multifamily industry

地平线是对Aruba的AOS-CX开关线的评估，以提供更多注入AI的网络可见性，性能和自动化，以及利用Aruba的位置服务功能，并结合蓝牙和Zigbee内置在Aruba APS中。

“Among other things, this technology lends itself to the smart building digital twin approach,” says Miller. “We could offer location services upgrades to building owners for asset tracking and monitoring third-party vendors working in their buildings. And as new technologies, such as floor and window cleaning robots, become more prevalent, our wired and wireless infrastructure will enable adding them quickly.”

他继续说：“简而言之，我们的Aruba网络成为智能构建创新的平台，而不是与过时和单互联网枢纽捆绑在一起。当我们继续将多户住宅转变为智能空间时，我们可以迅速进行创新，这些空间可以跟上人们在家里生活和工作的不断发展的方式。”