Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, announced that Homebase, a smart building automation company for multifamily properties and developer of a hubless smart building solution, is relying on an Aruba ESP-based network to deliver smart living experiences to apartment residents and property owners. With Aruba ESP as its foundation, Homebase can increase value and reduce costs for building owners while providing residents with a modern, highly-connected and automated living experience, the company said.
“At least one-third of America has ‘cut the cord’ and turned to the internet for access to everything, so making the internet that fifth utility that can connect multiple services and technologies in a building makes sense for residents, property managers and building owners,” said Blake Miller, founder and CEO of Homebase.
Homebase sought an infrastructure solution that was reliable, secure, and cost-effective, but could also scale to meet the company’s vision. With the Aruba ESP infrastructure and the Homebase mobile app, residents can manage their payments, lodge maintenance requests and control smart devices such as smart locks, thermostats, lighting and appliances, while building owners can streamline property management tasks.
Homebase deployed Aruba access points including Wi-Fi 6 APs, Aruba access switches and Aruba Central for management. The network implementation allows residents to choose different levels of connectivity, based on their needs. Using the Homebase app, residents can access everything in their unit such as locks, thermostats, lighting, and appliances, as well as gaming and mobile devices through a single connection. For building managers, access control and security cameras in the common areas and community spaces such as gyms, pools and movie facilities, can all be connected and managed via the network and the app.
This “living as-a-service” vision relies heavily upon high-speed, reliable network access that’s always on, allowing residents to move in, connect and manage everything from utilities to washers and dryers, as well as potentially accessing services such as grocery delivery, house cleaning and even dog walkers from the app.
For building owners and property managers, the combination of the underlying Aruba ESP network and the Homebase app automates repetitive tasks like move-ins/move-outs and, because the network is capturing data constantly, enables a more efficient maintenance model, the company said.
