Meeting New Demands
by Danielle Vigueria
Mom is working in her home office. Dad is on a video sales call. The kids are participating in their virtual classrooms. And the home’s network is overwhelmed—slowing search results, dropping the call, and freezing the teachers. With the majority of Americans spending more time at home than ever, new challenges are creating stumbling blocks to productive days. Enter Home System Solutions (HSS).
“Our business has seen a huge boom since the pandemic,” says Austin Arruda, Vice President of HSS. “It is definitely something that we didn’t expect, but since people are doing so much more from their homes, their needs have changed. Families aren’t just using their home networks to watch television at night. They are relying on them to work and learn as well. And this shift seems like it’s here to stay. We can help remove some of these new obstacles and ease some of the frustrations.”
Enterprise-Grade Network
The increased demand created by households with adults working from home and children learning remotely means a strong network is key to keeping everyone online. “The network is the building block of our systems and the backbone of a home’s technology,” says Austin. “A network provided by us is vastly superior to what you get from your ISP. The needs of the home system are much deeper now than what can be accommodated by your local internet provider; they have become very similar to the needs of a business. People’s livelihoods are on the line and their children’s educations, too.”
And to eliminate issues like slow downloading of content, minutes wasted buffering, and dropped video calls, a robust network is a necessity. “I often ask, ‘Can four people in your house Zoom at the same time?’” says Lawrence Fisher, President of HSS. “Not on a network that isn’t handled—you need the right amount of bandwidth to accomplish that. We can make that possible.”
HSS can also enable clients to assign priorities to their devices, which means bandwidth is consumed first by those designated most important. For example, a family can choose to give precedence to the computers used for work and school, and only after those have the bandwidth necessary, can the connected TV play or the iPad stream. Offering their clients a new level of control and reliability when it comes to connectivity can alleviate some pandemic-fueled stress.
“what really sets HSS apart is what we care about most—client experience and a beautiful finished product.”
–Austin Arruda, Vice President, HSS
Home Automation
With full schedules and multitasking as the new norm, finding ways to save time on everyday household jobs can also make a big difference. “In the past, people came to us because they wanted better sound or a better visual experience, and unifying all of their components with an automation system was something we would introduce as a way to make that easy,” says Austin. “Now, we have clients seek us out specifically for automation services. With the increasing needs in the home, automation can be an invaluable time-saver.”
Automation is at the heart of what HSS does. They can create a system to control just about anything in the home from door locks, garage doors, and thermostats to motorized window coverings, water leak detection, and lighting. Imagine just pressing a “good night” button in the bedroom and the system checks the locks on the doors, closes the garage door, turns all of the lights off, and arms the security alarm. If you can trust your house to do those things for you, you get precious time back into your day.
Surprising New Trends
In addition to networks and automation, HSS has seen some unexpected trends arise from the pandemic. As people limit their travel and have fewer options for entertainment, many are looking to invest in home improvements that can elevate activities and experiences.
After losing popularity over the past several years, the demand for dedicated home theaters is making a big comeback. It is hard to imagine feeling entirely comfortable going to a movie theater any time soon, so why not watch new releases in a comfortable and optimized space at home? With plush, tiered seating, a state-of-the-art projector, and sophisticated lighting, home theaters can be a way to share in experiences that don’t require leaving the house.
Similarly, going to the gym has been replaced by exercising at home. With products like the Lululemon Mirror, The Vault from NordicTrack, and Peloton bikes, people aren’t just filling their space with equipment, they are engaging in virtual workouts. And they all need a strong internet connection so that they can burn calories without running out of bandwidth.
Exceptional Client Service
“Our clients appreciate the technology we offer and tend to see value in minutes back every day,” says Austin. “But what really sets HSS apart is what we care about most—client experience and a beautiful finished product. We are committed to being responsive, no matter how busy we may be and we employ whatever resources necessary to make sure the end product is as perfect as possible, even if that means bringing in another craftsperson or expert.”
And COVID-19 hasn’t kept Home System Solutions from delivering best-in-class service. Through thoughtful precautions, the team is able to continue keeping homes and families connected. “We have had to navigate how to work in a way that keeps everyone safe right now,” says Lawrence. “And we are committed to the health of our clients and our families and doing what we can to improve people’s lives at home during this challenging time.”
For more information about Home System Solutions, call 541.610.7915 or visit hssbend.com.
