Comcast's Xfinity Communities Launches "Nation’s First Commercial Smart Communities Platform"
July 18,2019
Xfinity Communities (Comast) and Kass Management Services, a Chicago-based rental and commercial property and condominium association management company, announced today, "the nation’s first commercial deployment of the Xfinity Communities’ Smart Communities platform at two Kass-operated, multifamily rental properties in the city."
Through the partnership, 50 units were outfitted with smart devices, including smart thermostats and smart lighting, which renters can control via the Xfinity Communities app when they’re at home or away. When combined with the power of Xfinity Internet service, the devices create a technology platform that over time, property managers can expand with additional smart features, such as security cameras and smart locks.
“Creating smart communities by integrating smart home technology into our properties makes life easier and more convenient for residents and may even help them have more control over their utility usage,” said Mark Durakovic, principal, Kass Management Services Inc.
Property managers can control the entire platform via Xfinity Communities’ Smart Communities Portal, which gives them the ability to manage automation technology in their properties’ administrative and public areas. For example, the system can help reduce energy use by controlling temperatures in vacant units and common areas. In addition, when a unit is rented, property managers can prep it and turn over control of the smart devices to the new tenant via the portal.
Kass Management Services Inc. manages more than 10,000 units and more than 450 properties in the Chicago area