Smart door lock gateways in apartments not only enhance the overall resident experience but also alleviate the workload for administrators. The installation of smart lock gateways allows essential data to be seamlessly integrated into a centralized management interface. This approach is greatly appreciated by property administrators because it enables administrators to efficiently oversee and control access, monitor security, and streamline daily operations.
With a centralized management interface, tasks such as granting or revoking access, monitoring entry logs, and ensuring the safety and security of residents become more straightforward. This not only enhances the overall efficiency of property management but also contributes to a safer and more convenient living environment for residents.
Dusun IoT offers comprehensive one-stop solutions, encompassing hardware device and cloud platform integration. These solutions assist in the creation of a robust and sustainable smart apartment ecosystem, enhancing apartment management systems, and ultimately boosting the company’s competitiveness in the market.
Background and Requirement
- Customer: An Apartment Property Management Company
- Country/Region: China
- Application: Smart Apartment Automation
- Project Requirement: one-stop solution for smart lock and gateway integration, as well as the assistance in PAAS building
- Products: DSGW-030 MTK7688 IoT gateway
The customer of this case is a subsidiary of top-brand real estate companies in China. It has ventured into an innovative business segment, and its mission is to establish a rental life service platform and asset management system catering to millions of users. They have successfully expanded their presence to over 20 major cities across China, currently overseeing the management of 70,040 housing units nationwide.
Nevertheless, the customer encounters several management challenges, including inefficiencies, lack of transparency in information, and difficulties in meeting the individual needs of tenants. These issues have impeded the healthy and sustainable growth of the customer’s apartment business.
Challenges
The customer’s apartment business faces several significant operational challenges, primarily in the following four areas:
- Rent Collection Complexity: Timely rent collection proves challenging, necessitating substantial human and material resources for collection efforts.
- Centralized Management Hurdles: The apartments employ traditional mechanical key systems. When tenants request a unit, caretakers must frequently visit the management office to obtain keys. This process increases workload and time expenses, potentially leading to operational inefficiency, order missing and a diminished customer experience.
- Security Concerns: Traditional mechanical locks are susceptible to theft threats, as keys can be easily duplicated. Furthermore, door access records cannot be tracked, posing potential security risks to the apartment complex.
- Limited PAAS Platform Expertise: While the customer’s apartment business team has extensive experience in leasing operations and a deep understanding of SAAS logic, they lack the necessary expertise in building PAAS platforms and managing associated equipment.
Solutions
Dusun IoT places a strong emphasis on addressing customer needs and resolving pain points as fundamental principles for establishing cooperation. Following extensive discussions with the customer, we delivered a comprehensive one-stop solution. This solution encompassed the supply of IoT hardware devices, including smart locks and smart IoT gateways, in addition to direct-connect PAAS platform services. This integrated IoT gateway device solution combines both software and hardware components, aiming to fulfill the apartment’s demands for refined management, enhanced safety, and overall operational efficiency.
Overview of Smart Lock and Gateway Integrated Solution
Door locks of smart apartment are linked to the smart gateway via the Zigbee protocol, while the Zigbee hub gateway establishes a direct connection to the customer’s apartment’s PAAS platform through MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) for remote door lock management. The SAAS platform connects seamlessly with the PAAS platform through APIs, enabling consolidated equipment management. This integration enhances operational efficiency, reduces costs, and elevates the overall living experience for users.
Benefits of Using Smart Lock and Gateway in Apartment
Enhanced Data Security Through Direct Connection to Customer PAAS Platform
In this setup, the gateway establishes a direct connection to the customer’s PAAS platform using MQTT. All data is securely stored on the customer’s platform, effectively minimizing the risk of data loss or unauthorized access stemming from potential third-party platform vulnerabilities.
A Turnkey IoT Integration Service to Eases R&D Challenges
Our comprehensive one-stop solution offers end-to-end support, encompassing hardware equipment (door locks and gateway integration) and software (PAAS services). Beyond guiding the customer in constructing a functional PAAS platform for seamless online integration, we extend our services to gateway firmware customization and packaging. This approach alleviates the burden of research and development for our customers, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process.
Simplified Installation to Lower the Cost
The door lock and gateway establish a wireless connection, eliminating the need for complex wiring. Each gateway has the capability to manage up to 8 door locks simultaneously, resulting in a streamlined construction process that significantly reduces costs.
Versatile Door Access Options to Improve the Experience
Smart door locks used by Dusun IoT offers multiple door opening methods, including dynamic passwords, long-term passwords, and one-click door opening. When integrated with the customer’s apartment SAAS system, these features enhance convenience and enable centralized daily management and improved operational efficiency.
Gateway for Smart Lock in the Solution
DSGW-030 gateway adopts MediaTek’s MT7688 WiFi platform to build IoT gateways for smart home and apartment. DSGW-030 have rich connectivity models (BLE 5 / Zigbee 3.0 / Z-Wave / WiFi 2.4G / 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, up to three options simultaneously) for customers to tailor your smart home setup to perfection. You can use Bluetooth 5.2, Zigbee 3.0 or Z-Wave to connect smart home devices while using Wi-Fi 2.4G and Ethernet as backhaul options.
Meanwhile, DSGW-030 is a small-size indoor gateway with a compact design (70mm x 70mm x 25mm), fitting any spaces, widely used and proven success in the smart apartment automation field to collect data from different sensors (e.g. temperature and humidity).
Read care study: ODM a multiple Zigbee gateway based on DSGW-030 to implement IoT-based home energy management solution
The most important feature of this smart home hub gateway is its programmability and easy integration with any public (AWS IoT Core / Microsoft Azure / Aliyun) or private cloud platforms. We offer various API interfaces for customers to invoke and SDK quick guide, development tool chain, Luci config manual to help you easily develop your own home automation applications, firmware porting supported.Key Parameter of DSGW-030 IoT Gateway
Power supply | Input voltage; 100V-240V AC / 50-60 HZ, Output voltage: 5V/2A |
Wireless protocols | Zigbee 3.0 and Wi-Fi 2.4G |
Device Integration | Within 50m, one gateway can connect up to ten end devices |
Interfaces | one WLAN port, one mini USB for power dupply |
Upgrade | OTA supported |
Result
Dusun IoT’s smart apartment solutions have brought about substantial enhancements in the customer’s apartment managment operations:
- Enhanced Security: Through door opening recording and alarm functions, residents’ sense of security has significantly improved.
- Streamlined Operations: The solution has simplified the traditionally complex physical key management, reducing associated management costs. This has also led to increased resident satisfaction, tenant attraction, and heightened competitiveness.
- Enhanced Data Analysis: This solution has effectively bolstered the customer’s apartment data analysis capabilities, enabling a deeper understanding of tenant needs and the optimization of operational strategies.
Other Similar Cases
The success of the customer’s apartment solution has been extensively replicated throughout mainland China, attesting to its scalability and reliability. Allow us to provide brief introductions to two additional similar cases for your reference. If you are considering the development of comparable IoT smart apartment solutions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
CJIA Apartment
CJIA Apartment is a subsidiary of the Huazhu Group and specializes in apartment rentals. It is faced management challenges due to the lack of uniformity in door lock brands and systems across its properties. To establish consistent management practices nationwide and address rent arrear issues, CJIA Apartment opted for a smart lock solution.
Dusun IoT’s Smart Lock Gateway Solution for CJIA Apartment:
Given CJIA Apartment’s absence of a PAAS platform, Dusun IoT bridges the gap between the PAAS layer and the customer’s SAAS layer. CJIA Apartment generates apartment rental information and subsequently forwards door lock and Zigbee IoT gateway installation work orders to Dusun IoT’s PAAS platform. Dusun IoT then dispatches these installation orders to the designated installation expert via their mobile app to complete the installation, facilitating a streamlined and efficient installation process.
Ziroom Rentals
Ziroom is a prominent rental housing platform in China, catering primarily to young urban professionals and tenants seeking high-quality long-term apartments and houses. Ziroom distinguishes itself through standardized apartment design and decor, an array of community services, and user-friendly online booking and payment systems. The platform is committed to offering tenants a seamless rental experience while assisting landlords in effectively managing their properties.
Challenges Faced by Ziroom Rentals
- Additional Costs: Each rental unit necessitates the installation of a router for Wi-Fi signal provision, as well as a Zigbee gateway to connect door locks and other indoor devices. This may result in increased operational expenses. How can these costs be minimized?
- Enhanced Door Lock Functionality: There is a need for door locks capable of detecting how tenants access the property, distinguishing between entries from inside and outside the room.
- Geographical Dispersion: All rental properties are spread across various locations throughout cities like Shanghai and Beijing. This distribution necessitates prompt on-site installations once orders are received. Currently, an installation team capable of timely deployment is being sought to meet this demand.
Dusun IoT’s Solution for Ziroom Rentals: Redeveloped Locks and Router Gateway
- Develop and manufacture smart door locks with gyroscopes for monitoring user door access;
- Research and develop router gateway devices with both Wi-Fi router function and the support for Zigbee 3.0;
- Establish a dedicated door lock installation team in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to ensure timely completion of all installation orders.
FAQs
How does smart lock gateway work?
Smart locks offer users the flexibility to unlock doors using a mobile app on their smartphones, voice commands, or by generating access codes via the smart lock’s keypad—an ideal solution for apartment rental properties. To enable remote capabilities of a smart lock, a Wi-Fi-enabled smart lock gateway plays a crucial role. This gateway ensures a continuous internet connection through a Wi-Fi network, facilitating features such as voice command control and integration with smart home systems. Acting as a bridge between the smart lock, Bluetooth or Zigbee LAN, and the global network, this smart gateway is key to seamless operation and connectivity.
How smart lock gateway benefit apartment administrators?
The smart lock gateway empowers administrators to provide flexible access options. With a smart lock installed on the door, administrators can utilize remote control functions and self-guided visits, granting tenants greater freedom in exploring their new living space. The process is straightforward: administrators send a temporary access code, ensuring property access solely for the designated viewing duration.
Smart lockgateways enable administrators to provide access to maintenance professionals during construction and property enhancement. Smart lock gateway empower them to enter the property independently, reducing the need for constant supervision. Moreover, access logs provide administrators with complete oversight of activities within their facilities, ensuring they remain informed in case of unexpected situations.
Is it necessary to have a gateway for smart lock?
Well, it depends on your specific requirements. Gateways for smart locks are not mandatory, but they prove highly beneficial when you seek remote operation and integration with a smart home system. A smart lock gateway establishes a connection between your smart lock and the internet. It interfaces with the smart lock using Zigbee protocol and connects to your local network via Wi-Fi. This consistent internet connection allows you to access and control your lock from anywhere, even when you’re far from home, such as during a vacation. It provides peace of mind by enabling remote door access and allowing you to confirm if your door is locked, no matter where you are. Additionally, a smart lock gateway offers real-time insights into your lock’s status and activity.