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| Brivo’s OnPark system uses XML API technology to connect seamlessly with existing ACS WebService |
The Situation
The Village at Breckenridge, Colorado (The Village) is a resort development comprising 235 residential and 28 commercial units. Few residents live at The Village year-round and the development sees brisk rental demand for the units, particularly during ski season. Nineteen different entities, including both professional property management firms and individual owners, rent out the various units throughout the year.
The Challenge
Like all of Breckenridge, parking spaces are at a premium at the Village. The development’s Homeowners’ Association (HOA) maintains a parking garage that has only 130 spaces to accommodate residential demand. “Parking spaces are a scarce, valuable resource,” said Tony Wait, General Manager for The Village of Breckenridge HOA. “We had to find a way to better utilize this limited resource and to capture parking revenue, if possible.”
When any of the 19 agents or owners rent out units they cannot always guarantee that those guests will have a parking space upon arrival, or after leaving the parking garage a space will be available when they return. Recently, the HOA had invested $1.4 million in repairs and maintenance to the parking garage, but parking fees paid by guests flowed to the rental agents and not the HOA. In effect, the HOA was bearing all the expense to provide parking, but reaping zero revenue.
The Solution
As Wait and the HOA sought solutions to better manage parking and improve overall security, Neal Marcus of Securus introduced them to Brivo’s XML API technology. XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, allows different systems to exchange data in the XML standard so they can “understand” one another.
Brivo’s XML integration would enable the Village to integrate the parking garage’s access control system with OnPark, a new online service created by Brivo’s professional services group to manage reservations and credentials for such common areas as spas, fitness centers, and in this case, a parking garage. The Village at Breckenridge Homeowners’ Association (HOA) is employing the OnPark online parking reservation system to improve parking management, increase revenues to the HOA, and enhance security.
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| OnPark online parking reservation system improves parking management, and enhance security |
The XML API has changed the world of access control for the Village HOA and for Brivo’s many current and future end-users. Steve Van Till, Brivo President and CEO, “The world of access control has fundamentally changed when the system that used to just open doors now can improve productivity, more effectively manage a scarce resource, enhance the guest experience, and produce revenue where previously there were only costs.”
The Highlights
- The new OnPark system uses Brivo’s XML Application Programming Interface (API) to connect seamlessly with the HOA’s existing ACS WebService online access control system—allowing both systems to “talk” to each other and exchange databases.
- With OnPark, all rental agents use a common interface to assign parking, agents are allocated an inventory of parking spaces, and unused spaces are pooled and made available at designated times.
- Guests receive a parking permit to display on their vehicles. Each permit has a microchip remotely programmed by the rental management agent to contain accurate check-in and check-out data.
- Most importantly, with the new system of guaranteed, managed parking spaces, the HOA now has the capability to collect revenue for each parking space rented.
- In addition to improving the guest experience and gaining significant revenue, OnPark saves the HOA a substantial amount of money. Before Brivo, Wait was considering the expense of installing a parking attendant booth and staffing it 24/7.
- With OnPark now deployed, the HOA will move to the next stage: extending the access control system throughout the property. Previously, guests needed two keys to access the property and staff had only minimal control of doors left or forced open. Brivo’s ACS will provide major end-user benefits—improved security; control access online; much greater, more specific control; and enhanced guest satisfaction.
- Remote administration of the entire system from any Web browser anytime, anywhere in the world.
- System scalability, flexibility, and the ability to expand the system where and when appropriate is a real advantage—as budget and time become available, the HOA can expand their access control system in a phased, and effective manner.
- Total Cost of Ownership for a Brivo ACS is up to 50% less than traditional PC-based electronic access control systems. Such lower up-front system and installation costs enable the HOA to keep working capital focused where it is most effective.
