More WiFi, More Problems

Get ready for more residents bringing home wireless-ready consumer electronics products... and the increase in unit-to-unit interference that will surely follow.

According to a report published last week by ABI Research, the popularity of wireless routers and devices using the new high-speed 802.11n standard will soon spill over to CE products like home theater systems and cable set-top boxes, outpacing other networking technologies.

The electronics vendors see WiFi as an easy way to get consumers' digital media delivered to their devices. As consumers increasingly look to bring Internet video into the living room and share their music and videos between rooms, older WiFi technologies simply don't have the bandwidth to deliver this content, particularly over longer ranges.

802.11n is supposed to help alleviate these constraints. PC manufacturers are shifting to 802.11n gear, and consumer electronics manufacturers are expected to follow suit in a big way.

Running Interference
The problem for multifamily property owners enters when many residents start trying to build these networks on top of each other in a densely populated area. (I was in a condo last week where I could see 42 different wireless networks from one unit!)

In addition to competing networks, there are other sources of interference, such as cordless phones, microwave ovens, baby monitors, and even mirrors, that also pose problems for Wi-Fi gear and leave networks with poor range or intermittent connectivity.

The new wireless standard promises much faster speeds and a stronger resistance to this interference, but there are potential issues when used in conjunction with current wireless standards. Plus, there just aren't enough channels available to keep up in a 250-unit property full of tech-savvy young residents, especially as more devices become WiFi-enabled as predicted.

Manage Expectations
There aren't very many good answers available to property owners, but you should start by asking a lot of questions of your property's ISP or WiFi provider. Realize that wireless isn't 100% perfect, but your provider should commit to a minimum acceptable service level. They may even be able to remotely manage the network from their operations center to help minimize any problems with interference. (This is a service that more property owners should be asking for.) In any case, leave the networking to the professionals... it can be more of a hassle and expense than it's worth to try to be your own wireless service provider.

One thing is for sure: As wireless networking becomes more prevalent and compatible devices become increasingly ubiquitous, property owners will need to offer some level of WiFi (residents will bring their own if you don't), but should set clear expectations for residents that it's not a perfect technology.

Are you offering WiFi access at your property? Which service providers are offering the most creative solutions to this unique problem?

Social Networking Comes to Apartments

Resident portals are a hot industry trend, and social networks are a hot consumer trend... so it was only a matter of time before someone decided to combine the two, right?

AptConnect is a new resident portal that adds social networking and a host of other features for apartment management and residents. The site builds on the portal with an online network that keeps residents involved in their community, potentially improving resident retention.

The site offers all the usual tools for property management: an online newsletter, online rent payments, maintenance requests. Unique features include an events calendar, a "meet the staff" page, community photo galleries, an FAQ section, community polls, and move out surveys.

The portal's messaging system allows residents to send messages to each other or to the office. There is also a mass messaging tool that allows management to contact all residents at once.

Getting Involved
Many features of AptConnect focus on communication and resident interaction within the community. Residents are encouraged to create, publish, and contribute, using the site as a place to meet others and get involved.

Resident can search other user profiles, create their own events, add photo galleries, chat in community forums, and post classified ads. They can set up their own clubs and volunteer committees, and even post their own content, such as recipes, jokes, or poetry.

The site includes a statistical analysis package that features real-time reporting of site usage and activity, but does not yet comply to the MITS data-transfer standards.

Pricing for the entire package is a subscription fee based on the size of your community.

The Right Site for You?
As a portal, AptConnect is as functional as most others.

However, the site faces a major obstacle in achieving a critical mass of users and fresh content that online communities thrive on. Because the site is built to reinforce resident retention, most of the site is currently designed to give residents access to information and user profiles exclusively from their apartment community. It would seem that the network could be much more useful if residents could also connect with other local people and businesses. Partnering with other locally-focused social networks like Meetro and Insider Pages, or sites focused on local businesses, such as MerchantCircle or Judy's Book, could make it a very handy tool for getting to know the neighborhood.

AptConnect has the potential to become an interesting tool for property managers, although it leaves many new questions, and it remains to be seen if it actually has any effect on resident retention. Considering the trends in online communities, it is a step in the right direction for portals, but leaves much to be desired in comparison to many of the robust functions available through more mainstream social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, or even LinkedIn. Pay attention though... what you see here could be the future of resident communications.

Have you tried social networks or other online tools in your community? Let us know what works and which sites you like best!

A Surface That Could Change the Way You Sell

Are you already using digital displays and maybe even touchscreens to show floorplans, availability, and other property info in an interactive way in your sales or leasing center?

Well, soon you'll have a new tool available that could be the next step in providing these types of unique interactive experiences. Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a new table-top computer called the Surface - it uses a slick touch-sensitive interface, much like Apple's iPhone. Check out this Forbes Video story about the device.

Here's another overview from Reuters:


...And a demonstration of a potential retail application using T-Mobile phones:

Apply these capabilities to the real estate industry, and it's easy to see how a device like this could become a very powerful tool for property owners to provide interactive experiences and additional services to current and prospective residents:

- A leasing agent could easily review and compare floorplans, availability and unit details.

- Condo buyers could quickly see and select their desired upgrade options.

- With one touch, a resident could download special offers from local retailers to their phone.

- A virtual concierge could recommend a restaurant, make a reservation, download directions to the resident's phone, and even set the unit's thermostat back to the right temperature before the the resident returns home for the night... all in a matter of seconds.

Customer experiences are becoming increasingly interactive and personalized. Adding the element of hyper-local applications customized for your community will allow you to communicate with, and provide services to, your residents in ways that we've never seen before.

How would you use a device like this in your community?

All Services on One Cable = One Bad Idea

Developers have some tough choices to make right now. Costs keep rising, but residents expect more than ever.

The question is: Are you giving your residents the technology options that they expect and desire?

As multifamily builders try to find ways to offset rising construction costs, I've seen recently that some companies are revisiting their specifications for low voltage wiring, trying to cut costs by consolidating all of their properties' communications services on only one or two wires to each unit.
This convergence is certainly becoming increasingly affordable, and it may sound like a promising way to control costs.

Well... While there are some systems that can be converged throughout your property, right now could be a really bad time to consolidate the cabling for your telecommunications services, especially considering recent rulings from the FCC. (PDF)

More players are entering the telecommunications business. New applications, major partnerships and other strategic maneuvers demonstrate that competitors within this industry aren't going to give up market share without a fight. Here are just a few examples:

:: Both major satellite TV companies are making major investments to provide their most advanced technologies to date in multifamily communities.

:: Cable operators continue to grow their on-demand services, and they're starting to test the first of many unique wireless applications that will come from their 20-year deal with Sprint.

:: Verizon and other FTTH providers are expanding rapidly, offering high-quality video services and extremely fast broadband services that are receiving high reviews from users.

Simply put, we are in the middle of what could possibly be a golden age of innovation among service providers.

There are more unique applications and functions than ever that are either available now or in the near future, and it's making this a tough time for anyone to try to pick the winners that you and your residents will want to do business with now and also 3-5 years down the road.

Consolidating your property's structured wiring will limit how many providers your residents can choose from, limit your options if you ever need to change providers, and limit your ability to upgrade your network when new services become available.

One wire per unit is not going to get the job done if you want to provide today's advanced services. Investing in a flexible, upgradeable infrastructure now will save you a lot of headaches later, and will allow you to deliver the technology options your residents desire today.

10.5 Ways to Use Technology to Go Green

Awareness of the need to conserve energy is skyrocketing in response to higher gas prices, efforts from Al Gore and others, and the associated media frenzy. Residents are more cost-conscious and environmentally-aware than ever.

Using technology to go green will help you maximize your energy conservation efforts throughout your community.

This entails everything from creating an easy-to-use interface for commonly-used audio and video systems, to less obvious ways to help reduce residents' overall energy consumption, including integrating lighting and HVAC.

Here are some suggestions for communities that are starting the process of going green:

1. Install LED or compact fluorescent lights. Lower energy usage, markedly longer lamp life and low maintenance mean these innovative lighting categories are a win-win-win for you and your residents. Adding occupancy sensors will save even more.

2. Choose energy-efficient appliances and electronics components. Every little bit helps in terms of curbing energy costs and integrators can find components for their clients that are more energy-efficient than others by visiting the Consumer Electronics Association’s myGreenElectronics.com or the government’s EnergyStar.gov.

3. Recycle old computers and components. It probably doesn’t save you money, but environmentally-conscious residents will have peace of mind if you pledge to properly dispose of their old components.

If improperly disposed of or illegally dumped, “electronics can pose a serious risk to the environment,” according to myGreenElectronics.com. Share this site with your residents to help them find information on how and where to properly unload old equipment if you can't take on the burden yourself.

4. Smart irrigation. You don't need to water your green spaces if it just rained last night, yet many watering systems often operate uncontrollably. Install a system such as WeatherTRAK that monitors current weather conditions and only waters your lawn when plants actually need it. You'll conserve water, and reduce both your water bills and landscape maintenance costs.

5. Manage your energy use. Even though technology tends to involve multiple energy-guzzling components, new systems are available that allow you to conveniently monitor energy use with a main interface that controls all of your building’s electrical systems.

6. Use lighting control. Without control, lights run at 100% brightness, 100% of the time. With a lighting control system, you can program the majority of common area lights to run at lower brightness, controlling energy and saving lamp life.

7. Motorized shades. Managing the volume of sunlight entering a building will keep the HVAC equipment from running through the day and keep energy costs down.

8. Offer home control to your residents. Something as simple as making it easy for residents to turn off energy-guzzling components can make a difference. New home control systems are rapidly coming down in cost, making this a more viable option than ever before.

Provide very simple, convenient buttons such as “all on,” “all off” and “good night” on any kind of control interface in the clubhouse, fitness center and living units. Energy conservation through convenience is key.

9. Check the garage. Replace any fleet vehicles with energy-efficient alternatives, and offer residents a shared car service such as Zipcar.

10. Go solar. Installing renewable solar energy systems will reduce your utility costs and can even earn you energy credits from utility companies.

10.5. Pre-wire for solar. Maybe you're not sold on solar energy now, but you might be in a few years. Pre-wiring your community for solar today will make retrofits will be easier and less costly later.

Energy conservation is a growing trend, and it's good business, too. Use technology to go green, spread the word among residents and when marketing to new prospects, and your energy-saving ways will pay off many times over.

Have a great way you're using technology to go green? Leave us a message and tell us your favorite "green" technologies!