Is A ‘Product As A Service’ Really A Unique User Adoption Strategy?

The advent of smart devices has enabled an explosion in data generation. By placing a smart hub that interacts with multiple sensors at critical locations within a property, we can collect data that can then be translated to derive meaningful actions including timely detection of water leaks and fires. However, as with any new technology, the industry is challenged due to the plethora of new devices and communication technologies that are available today. Alexa, Google Nest, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Hubitat, Vera...the list goes on. This is further complicated by the presence of multiple communication technologies like Lora, WiFI, Bluetooth, Z-wave, and Zigbee. With so many different options, a non-tech savvy customer can easily get overwhelmed. It is difficult to identify the optimal smart devices that are needed to ensure the safety of one's home.

Purple Ant has evolved the concept of product-as-a-service to help homeowners resolve this challenge. By offering a hardware-agnostic solution, we are able to propose a custom hardware and communication option that best suits that home. Instead of buying a smart hub and a set of sensors, the customer is purchasing home safety as a service. We enable this by managing all the activities, including the configuration of the hardware and sensors, and setting it up to send alarms to the users through preferred channels such as text messages and emails. The approach is built with non-tech savvy customers in mind. Our system is incredibly simple yet efficient: plug the sensor, place it, and then walk away! Our system will let us know what problems could potentially arise, keeping your home safe and sound.