The Aware! By BuildingLink®  IoT initiative is so exciting - that sometimes we can't believe it ourselves. IoT stands for the Internet of Things, and is about  giving “things” the ability to sense, report, absorb and act, without human intervention. When done right, it's almost like magic, enabling smarter, easier living. And we are happy to share with you that - we ARE doing it right!

Aware! is an extension of the BuildingLink software platform with an integrated line of IoT Sensor Solutions that can monitor and inform you about many diverse conditions, such as elevator and machinery malfunction, fitness center equipment use, noise complaints, or just plain environmental comfort. Aware! will give you real world actionable data to make better management decisions and to create better living experiences for your residents.  And when we say "Actionable data" - we mean really actionable data, the kind that you always wished you had.  Your wish is coming true... and we are excited to share with you some very promising solutions.

Here is what you can expect from us:

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Shining New Light on Your Fitness Center - with Aware-FC™

Aware – FC™ sensors – and their personal hub – are an easy to install solution kit created to track machine usage and the environment in your fitness centers, so you don’t have to! Stay in the know easily by receiving real-time data in your management portal, and analyze trends and changes over time with customizable graphs and heatmaps to help you make better, more informed choices about your fitness center.

So, what do 17 properties using our Aware Fitness Center solution know that you might not?

1) Which pieces of equipment get used a lot, and when? (Hint: It’s not your Stairmasters.)

A fitness center is only as good as the equipment you put in it, but how can you know what equipment is the best? Aware – FC™ tracks equipment usage in real-time – you can see day to day that Treadmill #3 is almost always in use, or that the ellipticals fill up first during peak hours.

Have you noticed that Treadmill #3 is experiencing a sudden drop off in use? It could just be because the HVAC duct above it started dripping condensation – or it could be because it’s time to replace it with another one of the ellipticals residents love so much! While we can’t give you specifics about water and leaks (at least not yet!), with Aware! you’ll know that there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. And the information compiled in Aware!’s analytics helps you to determine whether Treadmill #3 – or any other equipment – needs to be replaced with something more usable.

2) Do things get a little too hot to handle? (Hint: No one likes to sweat before they work out.)

Aware – FC™ sensors tell you about more than just your equipment; they also monitor environmental data. Bodies working out produce heat – and at peak hours, this can make the environment in your fitness center nearly unbearable. With Aware! you’ll see changes in temperature and humidity right away, allowing you to make quick adjustments to heating and cooling to keep the fitness center comfortable enough for use.

Tracking temperature and humidity changes - alongside usage data over time - can even reveal more subtle anomalies that could indicate problems, like inadequately sealed windows or a broken HVAC that is affecting the comfort level of your fitness center.

3) Are residents getting the full experience?

With all the hard work you put into your fitness center, you want residents to actually use it, right? Residents can use Aware – FC™ through their resident portal and mobile app to track the temperature and whether their favorite equipment is available. BuildingLink also integrates with Amazon Echo’s Alexa , so those residents who have an Echo can simply inquire, “Alexa, ask BuildingLink if any treadmills are free.” Easy access to real-time data gives your residents the ability to choose the best time to make the most of what your building has to offer.

Interested in learning more about bringing Aware – FC™ to your building? Contact us at aware@buildinglink.com.

Increase Your Aware!ness with our Next Three Solutions

You might be wondering, “How the heck did they figure that out? Isn’t hardware supposed to be, you know, HARD?” It is – unless you’ve got some of the most talented developers from across the globe on your team – which we do! We’ve spent the last year gathering data and making adjustments, so we can deliver not just the best solutions, but the most functional solutions.

Before our first solution (Aware – FC™) went from beta to live, we sent out several surveys to identify more areas where managers feel Sensor Solution Kits will benefit their buildings. Your priorities have become ours, so we’re focusing next on 3 solution areas: leak detection, people counting, and elevators.

LEAKS NO MORE (mostly)

Bath and toilet overflows, bursting pipes, clogged PTAC/HVAC, under-sink leaks – just the thought of the damage these issues can cause is enough to strike fear into the heart of any property manager. Not only is water damage costly, it’s also unpredictable – it starts suddenly and almost always catches you unaware. Leak Detection Sensor Kits are designed to alert mangers at the first sign of a leak, to allow for quick fixes and minimal damage. We weren’t surprised that they were one of the most popular solution choices – and we’re already working on a robust offering of sensors designed to capture all of the water data you can think of – and some you can’t!

PEOPLE COUNT – SO COUNT YOUR PEOPLE!

Multi-family buildings have a lot of one thing: people. It’s your job to keep track of and take care of them all. Amenity Tracking Sensor Kits offer the same benefits of Aware – FC™ but with an added bonus: People Tracking! “People Tracking” is simple – it allows you to monitor how many people are using your buildings’ common spaces at any given time. As with all our Sensor Solutions Kits, Amenity Tracking Sensors offers real-time information, as well as analytics. You can make sure parties are complying with occupancy regulations for safety AND track usage over time, to see which spaces are most popular and which might need to be improved!

KEEP ELEVATORS RUNNING SMOOTHLY

The elevators in your building work ALMOST as hard as you do – and like you, they need proper care to do their job. Knowing when something is wrong with an elevator – whether it’s just going slow or maybe the machinery needs servicing – could be the difference between a happy building and disaster. With Elevator Monitoring Sensor Kits, you’ll know about unusual behavior or rough starts that could be indicative of a larger problem. The fact that the sensors also track hourly and daily traffic and the environment is really just a bonus.

These are just a few of the possibilities we’re working on so far!  Aware – FC™ is proving the benefits of Sensor Solutions – but it’s clear that we’re only just scratching the surface of what this technology can do! With the Aware! by BuildingLink initiative we’re committed to exploring the potential of smart living, and we have so many ideas – some you’ve helped us pinpoint, and some we came up with ourselves– that we can’t wait to share.

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