The first Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) of 2019 kicked off this morning in Washington, D.C., where over 2100 attendees are gathered to improve their knowledge of Yardi’s products and services, network with peers, and have a little fun. “What do you say this week we turn Washington, D.C. into our nation’s real estate technology capital?” said Esther Bonardi, Yardi vice president of marketing, as the general session kicked off. The conference is the largest YASC to date. With a focus on sharing information, educating users on how to get the most out of their Yardi platform, learning about new products and features, and connecting with fellow real estate professionals, YASC is also a place where attendees answer important questions. “How do you elevate your company to that next level? You do it by gaining information,” said Bonardi, introducing Anant Yardi, company founder and president, during the general session. Continuous communication Mr. Yardi focused his remarks on the theme of continuous connection and how it can be beneficial for business relationships. “This day and age of continuous connection doesn’t necessarily mean we are communicating all the time. But it does mean that we are available, and we respond.” While displaying an image of a group of people around a dinner table, all intently staring at their smartphones, Mr. Yardi suggested that perhaps the group all had various roles in the real estate industry, as well as the capability to respond to customer and client requests, anytime and anywhere. Yardi’s technology platform already allows real estate professionals to accommodate such requests, but as Mr. Yardi and the executives who presented after him Tuesday morning demonstrated, the company is poised to deliver even more innovation. “Our goal is to provide a connection between the business, the consumer and the property,” said Mr. Yardi, introducing the concept of “business to property” transactions. “As we think about continuous communication, the basic way we do real estate doesn’t change. But the way we transact business may change.” Yardi has positioned its platform to facilitate that change with solutions like Yardi Elevate for improving asset performance and Yardi Kube for coworking management, a potential way for property managers to capitalize on unused space, and the Yardi Pulse platform, which can monitor energy use and automate energy management, leading to waste reduction. Future-focused product development YASC attendees also got a sneak preview of Yardi’s forthcoming smart home technology solution which will allow property managers and residents to easily manage connected services like utilities and door locks, all from an app-based interface. “Using a single app, a resident should be able to make payments, enter service requests, request concierge services, but also make sure that the door is locked,” Mr. Yardi said. Such a hub will also have advantages for property managers, who will be able to manage the utilities and locks of vacant units all from a centralized dashboard. John Pendergast, Yardi senior vice president, multifamily services, went into more details on the convenience, security, comfort and automation that Yardi’s new smart home technology solution will provide. The morning presentation concluded with remarks from Rob Teel, Yardi senior vice president, global solutions, and Akshai Rao, Yardi vice president of energy and procurement. Teel introduced the Yardi Elevate platform, which is powered by big data, market data from Yardi Matrix and uses predictive analytics and prescriptive actions to increase revenue, decrease expenses, increase asset value and reduce risk. “Yardi Elevate will help you answer forward-thinking questions, like how much should I spend on marketing next month. These are not the accounting questions you’d be answering with Yardi Voyager. The goal is to help you make better business decisions,” Teel said. Yardi Elevate provides next-level insight into asset performance, budgeting and forecasting, construction and facility management, and more. Community connections Rao concluded the general session with a look at Yardi’s corporate philanthropy programs, which offer employees in each...
YASC DC 2017
Relationships + Technology
The 2017 Spring Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) in Washington, D.C. kicked off with a glimpse into the future of relationships and technology. Yardi CEO and founder Anant Yardi addressed the crowd of nearly 1,500 clients on how cloud services, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence can be used to improve relationships. Mr. Yardi explained how Yardi will use technology to improve client relationships. He announced the creation of a task force that will address user concerns based on app ratings. “We need an organization—and we’ll set that up—where anytime we get a rating, we need someone looking at it and contacting that user. If there is a response-time issue, a particular problem, we can help them as the problem occurs. Know that service is important to us,” continues Mr. Yardi. “If it’s not good enough, we take action.” In the spirit of improvement, Yardi will continue to enhance cloud services and securities for its users. Recent cloud architecture investments included, but were not limited to, Next Gen firewalls, intrusion protection appliances and software, DDoS protection, web application firewalls, and end point protection. Ongoing training ensures that security staff stays up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field. “We now have a SWAT team within our cloud and they’re constantly monitoring for changes,” chuckles Mr. Yardi. “We are sending members of our security teams to all of the security conferences so that we can be sure that we’re doing the right thing by you.” Staying abreast of trends is another way that Yardi plans to improve relationships through technology. The refinement of artificial intelligence paves the way for a vast array of applications, not the least of which includes property management. Mr. Yardi posed conceptual applications that use machine learning to improve clients’ bottom line. Unlike...
YASC Scavenger Hunt
Join the Photo Fun!
Join the social media photo scavenger hunt at YASC 2017 in Washington, D.C. This is a great way to network with fellow attendees, explore the conference offerings, and learn about Yardi’s history, products, and values. We invite you to jump in on the fun! It’s easy to participate: Snap and post photos of scavenger hunt items on Twitter and Instagram Tag posts with the event hashtag, #YASC2017 Winners will be announced on social media Thursday, May 25, starting at 9am EST Rules: Snap and post on Twitter or Instagram using #YASC2017. Accounts must be public for posts to be visible during contest. There are lots of fun prizes, so don’t miss out! YASC photo scavenger hunt list: At the YASC Registration Desk A General Session photo Networking at lunch or a break A Washington, D.C. landmark (outside the hotel) With a Yardi staff member (look for the Yardi shirts) Visit Knowledge Central In a course or panel session Selfie with your team or YASC attendee At one of the YASC receptions A favorite moment at YASC Questions? Visit the Networking Lounge in Columbia Hall of the Washington Hilton, message Yardi on social media, or email us at...