Benefits of Society Now Society Management Software

Transform Your Apartment into a Smart Home with These Products:-

There was a time when families used to spend hours on deciding what shade of paint would look best on the kitchen walls or what kind of door latch to buy. The times have now changed, and today half the fun in setting up an apartment is in trying to make it a smart home.

For an apartment in a cooperative society, there are several areas in which an apartment management system can be used, but for this article, let us look at these five aspects - security, temperature, lighting, sound, and access.

Security – The use of surveillance cameras for homes has been in vogue for some time. But in a smart home, you can aim for remote surveillance, and also real-time coverage. That way you won't need to take back up tapes or risk the chance of missing out important footage. Try the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera system which gives you crystal clear high definition (HD) recording. You can have the recording transmitted directly to your smart-phone or any other device. This can also be tied up to the visitor management system of your society.

Temperature – You must be aware of the thermostat systems which switch on or off the air conditioning as soon as a certain temperature is reached. But there are also smart systems which use their temperature sensors to double up as a fire alarm. The fire alarm will be in the form of a notification sent directly to your smart-phone. The trigger for this notification would be the increase in temperature beyond a specified level or the detection of carbon monoxide in the air. You can try out the Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

Lighting – You must have heard about the lights being dimmed or brightened as per the number of people in a room, or movement in a room, or even the ambient light from outside. The next progression in smart lighting is that the light from the bulbs in a room turn into different colors depending on your mood. The controls for this can be done through Wi-Fi. One of the best products of this type is the Philips Hue LED Smart Bulb Starter Kit.

Sound – This might be the gadget that people most commonly associate with a smart home. We have seen and heard friends say ‘Hey Alexa’ or ‘Hey Siri’ to their virtual assistant. A smart speaker can very well be the center of activity in a living room because it can play music, give weather updates, locate restaurants and so many things. If you are the kind who often invites friends over for parties on the patio, then you might want to try out the Megablast Portable Speaker by Ultimate Ears. Just be sure to check with your residential management system if playing loud sound outdoors is permitted.

Access – There are several touchpad keyless latches available which can do away with the need for carrying a key for access to your apartment. The nest level in access control in a smart apartment is the electronic key that you can send to the smart-phone of the person to whom you wish to grant access. The August 3rd Gen Smart Lock is one such product.

You can use an overall residential management software or a tool like Society Now to control all these products from a single place.

Smart Security Tips for Apartments and Renters:-

It is not enough to find a good apartment in a cooperative society. The safety and security of the apartment and your belongings inside the apartment is important as well. Usually one would expect a society management software to include elements of security. But as an owner or renter, it is also your responsibility to take care of the security. Let us discuss ten few simple ways to ensure that your apartment is safe:

1. A basic safety precaution to take is to install a security system for your home. Do keep in mind that the residential management software would only cover the common areas. But for your apartment, you need to install your system. A typical system would include security cameras, alarm systems, and also smoke detector systems.
2. We are used to seeing the big estates with huge grounds lighted up with bright lights in movies. But even if you stay in an apartment, it is not a bad idea to have external/outdoor lights installed.
3. Many houses get burgled because of the simple reason of leaving balcony doors or other sliding windows open. An advanced security system is of no use if your doors and windows are open. Many people also underestimate the security risk of a balcony door if the flat is on the top floor.
4. Banks offer safe deposit lockers to keep your valuables in. People use it to store jewelry, important documents, family heirlooms etc. If you have a long-standing relationship with a bank, you can ask for a locker, and shift all your valuables there.
5. With the rise in popularity of social media, there is a growing tendency among people to post about every small and big trip of theirs before or during the trip. Avoid that temptation, and share your experiences after you return. Lots of burglars decide the time for their burglary after seeing social media posts.
6. You should also invest in good quality locks and bolts for your doors, even if you have installed a security system. There are pick resistant locks now available which make it almost important to break in.
7. We usually think only of doors while buying locks. But many break-ins occur through windows. You should invest in window locks as well, which will secure a comparatively easy (for the burglars) entry point.
8. A common way for burglars to enter nowadays is through the front door! Yes, you read that right. And no, we are not referring to the breaking in of the front door. Burglars often pretend to be someone they are not, like courier delivery boys, utility workers, repairmen etc. The way to prevent this is to install door chains and peepholes on your front door. If you are not sure whether you recognize the people you see through the peephole, open the door 4 inches after putting the chain lock in place, and ask to see their identification.
9. Do not stay aloof from your neighbors. Get to know them, so that they feel confident about ringing your bell and reporting any suspicious activity to you. In case you are going away for a few days, they can be depended on to keep a lookout.
10. You don’t need to be paranoid, but you should always keep an ear and eye open for any suspicious activity. It could just be a person you see outside your Society Now for two consecutive days but haven’t seen before.

Society Now: Smart Buildings Trends & Challenges for a Secure Future:-

When it comes to buildings, the best example of technology that was possible to be given until a decade or two back was the centralized heating control, lighting control, and lift operation. But today, the range of eye-popping technology is to be seen to be believed. As we prepare to move into 2019, let us take at the hottest trends we see in smart buildings and the challenges we face.

Trends:-

Earlier we used to have separate control systems set up for lifts, lighting, security etc. and all the different modules were aligned to a single Building Maintenance System (BMS). There was no interaction or inter dependability of these functions. We have now moved on to what is referred to as iBMS. Whether it is access, security, or energy, smart buildings now have several features to take care of all these aspects.

For example, in a building, not all employees need to go into all places, and it is now possible to allocate different levels of access to different areas. These areas are usually designated by different colors on badges. The access controls are usually aligned with the security alarm systems as well and can send notifications to the smart-phones of specific managers.

The security aspects of a smart building have also undergone sea changes over the years. The emergency exits, the smoke and fire alarms and the surveillance camera systems of a typical smart building are all aligned. Most smart buildings have notification capabilities for the local police station and fire station.

Energy consumption is a big differentiator for smart buildings today. Use of electricity and heating systems are monitored, and the iBMS can modulate usage according to occupancy. Energy grids set up in smart buildings help to control the usage as per time and day of the week.

It is not only commercial or office buildings which are being designed in this way. There are several options available for society management software which can be used in a housing society app for these same benefits in the buildings of a cooperative society.

Challenges:-

Although smart buildings are becoming very popular now, they do come with their own sets of risks and challenges. Because the setup of smart buildings requires the use of huge amounts of data, they can be prone to theft of such data. Such breach of security is not good for a housing society management software, but for an office building or commercial building, the results can be even more disastrous. That is why robust security features will need to be incorporated.

Second, like every new fad, the usage of the phrase smart building has frequently been wrong. Many buildings are wrongly termed ‘smart' to make them sound more attractive. A really smart building would have automation, use of real-time data, integration of all elements and good energy management. But many so-called smart buildings do not have many or most of these.

A good apartment management software should be able to incorporate elements of tenant management, facility management, and other related aspects seamlessly. But we still see examples of so-called ‘smart’ building which do generate and collect large amounts of data but in silos, and the integration is halfhearted at best, and missing at worst. Only a good software like Society Now would help you integrate perfectly.

Smart Apartments: What Renters Actually Want in 2018:-

Taking an apartment on rent has now gone beyond just looking at the quality of construction and the facilities available in the cooperative society in which the flat is in. What renters want in 2018 is a smart apartment they can live in. The innovation of smart homes makes the stay convenient and worry-free. Let us look at some of the features of a typical smart apartment that were most popular in 2018.

Security – The safety and security of the house and the belongings inside is paramount to a person who has taken an apartment on rent. A smart security system allows the renter to keep track of the hallways and entryways remotely. Many homes have video monitoring inside the house as well. This is useful when there are pets kept inside for the day or when children have been kept in the care of housekeepers or babysitters. The renter can arrange to have relevant notifications sent to his or her mobile phones just by downloading an app on his or her smartphone. Installing this kind of a smart security system also helps in reducing the premium for theft and burglary insurance.

Keyless Entry – There are many stories we have heard of people locking themselves out or misplacing their keys somewhere. Smart homes today come with remote-enabled or touchpad enabled access to both outer as well as inner doors. Often a home needs access to be given to service providers like pet walkers, babysitters, housekeepers, or even different family members arriving at different times of the day. These touchpad keyless locks allow user ids and specific passcodes to be allocated to multiple persons, so they can enter and leave home independently. In case a house has been rented for use as a home office, then such keyless entry touchpads can also be installed in the interior doors.

Apartment Dashboard: – Many apartment complexes provide a mobile phone application which renters can download on to their smart-phones. This app provides a single dashboard under which every kind of information is provided for both renters and owners. This could be about daily activities like the arrival of school buses or water tankers, or occasional updates as well. These apps help the renter to be clued into the latest developments inside the housing society using the society management software. Another common use is a visitor management system which can help the committee in the society keep track of all visitors. This is also aligned with the security system of the society so that there are no unaccounted visitors.

Lighting and Temperature Control – There are smart applications which can help save the renter’s energy usage while he or she is in the apartment or while outside. Inside the apartment, such an apartment maintenance app can switch off points which are not required, and turn off the heater or air conditioner when the temperature crosses or falls below a certain temperature. The presence (or absence) of movement in a room can automatically switch on (or off) the lights in the room. Automatically adjusting thermostats are another popular feature of smart apartments.

Several good companies are providing very high-quality apartment management software like Society Now for the above features and more. This is in line with the Digital India initiative which encourages citizens to use and support digitization in every aspect of their daily lives.

12 Smart Storage Solutions for a Compact 2BHK Home:

Even if you are running a tight budget, and can’t afford a large home in a cooperative society with 3 or more rooms, then your stay needn't be an uncomfortable one. It is not necessary for you to throw away things and stop buying new stuff. With some smart planning, you can easily stay comfortably without feeling crowded in. Here are 12 storage solutions you can incorporate in your compact 2BHK house.

Think outside the bedroom: If you can set up open shelves or closed cupboards in the bathroom, you can use those to store hair dryers or clean towels instead of using up shelf space in other rooms.

Under the sink’s shadow: The sink is very useful, but it usually takes up a lot of vacant space underneath which is almost never used. Because the area is humid, you need to create a closed cupboard to use this space, and it must be water resistant.

Bed Storage: This is one of the oldest techniques used for space saving in any apartment management system, but it is still very popular and useful. People use these spaces not only for storing things like bed sheets, blankets or pillows, but even clothes or some oddly shaped objects.

Kitchen rack: We usually have modular cabinets below the kitchen shelves, but a different alternative might be required. The first is when the number of utensils and cookware you have is more than the available storage space. The second is when you find it difficult to bend and take out things. In either case, a metal rack on the wall would help save space.

Stairs: This is another popular space saving technique. The space under the stairs can be used for open as well as closed storage. If you are using it to display some knick-knacks, then you might need some extra lighting as well.

Doors: This is a very useful place to hand stuff at, and this neither uses additional space nor does it catch the eye. That will help you keep some of your ugly stuff out of sight of Society Now.

Folding furniture: We have seen folding chairs in many homes. But there are many other options available, like tables or beds which fold back into walls, foldable tables, and racks etc. These can be left as they are when in use, and can be folded and kept away after use.

Hang Up the television: If you mount your television on the wall, it frees up lots of space on the mantelpiece which you use to store books or curious. For big rooms and big televisions, hanging on walls also makes it easier to view from a distance.

Use your garage: Many garage spaces are oversized to accommodate the larger cars. In case your car is of usual size, you should move some of the less used stuff to the garage and keep track of it in the society management software.

The Last Three: The three other things to do could be to get vertical shelves, use cubbies, and use small baskets in your closet. These are common solutions which do not cost a lot but help you make the best use of the available space.

T6 Solutions is based in Pune, but believes in having a Pan-India presence thus our operations are not limited by location.