It was only a matter of time. Like cable and wifi access before, the utility of Amazon Alexa and other voice activated products are becoming, well, a utility. And that utility is now on the verge of getting baked into the next apartment you rent.
Portland startup IOTAS saw this coming years ago. As they pursued the opportunity of offering smart home and Internet of Things functionality as a service.
IOTAS provides a complete smart apartment ecosystem with simple installation that delivers the best user experience for residents and staff alike. Our powerful solution offers property management teams building-wide automations, monitoring of leaks, and HVAC control. IOTAS integrates with lights, outlets, thermostats, door locks, ceiling fans, sensors and much more!
And today, they’ve taken another step forward in making it a reality. With Alexa for Residential.
Residents don’t have to have an Amazon account, purchase any devices, or set up anything in the apartment—it will all just work. From the moment they walk into their new apartment, residents can ask Alexa to remind them when it’s recycling day, play the news and weather every morning, or control their apartment’s smart home features—just by asking. With a few extra steps, residents can also link their own Amazon account to use all Alexa features, and manage the device in the unit through their Alexa app alongside any other Alexa-enabled devices they already own.
IOTAS is one of the initial partners in the program.
Amazon wants to bring Alexa to property managers. The company this morning launched a new service, Alexa for Residential, that aims to make it easier for property managers to set up and maintain Alexa-powered smart home experiences in their buildings, like condos or apartment complexes. At launch, IOTAS, STRATIS, and Sentient Property Services will be among the the first smart home integrators to use the Alexa for Residential service.
For more information, read the coverage in Techcrunch.
