1

Typography

Logo fontFaricy New Bold

Body fontBarlowBarlow is the chosen brand font for Glide, it’s a slightly rounded grotesk style font family based on the free-flowing vibes of California. This level of legibility, mixed with friendlier, slightly slim-set letters offers a memorable and distinctive brand font.

It is available in 18 weights, which allows for extensive flex in creating a hierarchy. Of the 18 weights, currently the brand only uses 6 weights, medium, medium italic, bold, bold italic, extrabold and extrabold italic. However more weights may be used as and when the brand is rolled out extensively. This should be artistically considered and only expanded upon when deemed absolutely essential.

Faricy New is a font by MoreType, based in Liverpool, and is available through Adobe Typekit. It’s a relatively unknown font allowing for individuality in the Glide brand. We’ve also added the half cross-bar to the capital ‘G’ to keep it bespoke. Faricy New perfectly sums up the Glide brand in a font as it is legible and straightforward, ensuring fluid communication. Yet it also has playful tails and loops and doesn’t feel overly serious.

Smart Block 2020

glidebusiness.co.uk

Building for thestudents of tomorrow

2

ContentsForeword

Smart Block 2020 Concept

A brief history of SMART for buildings

Our vision is called Smart Block

A future-proof Smart Block ecosystem

Smart solutions for the Smart Block

Smart Block Technology

Smart Block technology pillars

Internet of Things (IoT)

Who benefits from Smart Block?

Developers

Operators

Smart Block Students

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4

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

11

11

12

What technology is in Smart Block?

Smart Fibre Infrastructure™

Submetering

Managed Thermostat Heating

Water Escape

Water Safety

Environment Monitoring

Conclusion

What’s next?

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On a typical day student accom-modation operators see hundreds of thousands of connected user devices.

It’s hard to imagine that one daythere could be hundreds of millions of devices, all connected as part of a single vision for Smart Government, Smart Grid, Smart City – or Smart Block, a vision for the future of student accommodation.

We see student accommodation developers and building operators with a simple objective. By making building infrastructure future-proof they can continue to be at the forefront of constantly shifting technologies and focus on meeting the demands of a modern high bandwidth student community. Operators need to continue to explore technology that delivers operational efficiency and operational savings. Any cost savings can be channelled into enhancing student experience with solutions like smart thermostats and smart-enabled pervasive wireless and creating spaces where the well-being of the students is actively monitored.Smart technology often adds complexity where it should create simplicity. The aim for operators is to make the complex simple and streamline your technology to ensure it stays relevant for today, tomorrow and the future.

Glide have explored the role technology will play in creating the Smart Buildings of the future. With a distinct focus on the near term, they aim to establish an achievable, collective vision for Smart Block 2020.New buildings are often not being commissioned appropriately and they are having to be re-commissioned to make them Smart. Therefore, operators need to explore the impact that Smart technology will have on the building developer, operator and the student community living in the building. Let’s be ready for what’s coming!

What is often missing is the real-world vision of a Smart Building – something installed today that will deliver value from the day the doors are opened and well into the future - a vision that will change perceptions and demonstrate that solutions are within reach today. That vision is called Smart Block.

Over the next year The Class of 2020 will work with Glide to further explore the vision of a connected future within PBSA. Talking to students and operators we will look at demands and key trend forecasts to better understand the role technology will play in the future of student accommodation.

Forewordby Jorick Beijer, Director at The Class of 2020

4

Today, the picture is fragmented

Over time, each building component has been separately developed and improved. Modern-day building owners select lighting, security, heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions independently.

Evolution of digital control systems

The natural evolution of building systems has seen digital controls added to analogue systems and more recently, the introduction of Internet Protocol (IP) so devices can be controlled and managed online and generated data can be stored and shared for analysis.

The need for common protocols and integration

A smart apartment building contains 100s of different types of devices, performing different functions. To make devices communicate, manufacturers will naturally make devices that speak the same language. However, if smart systems from different manufacturers are selected and installed independently, they will likely communicate in different languages.

These different languages or protocols will produce inconsistent data, making it hard to analyse without a massive amount of effort to make systems talk to each other and with no guarantee of success. Systems integration does not come cheap and, in this instance, it’s hard to calculate or generate any return-on-investment without it.

The quest for a single control system for all devices

How realistic is it to imagine one building controlled and managed by one system? Very realistic. You start by installing the correct infrastructure, add devices that communicate with each other, regardless of the manufacturer, to a single secure network and activate a single native control system.

What data is available and what can we do with it?

In short, today, not much. The penetration of IT into building systems makes returning and analysing data easier but the type and amount of data available is driven by the manufacturer of the system. Combining this data with that of other systems is tricky and expensive which limits the value which can be extracted from the system.

This is one part of the enormous challenge we face in making our Smart Block smart.

BackgroundA brief history of SMART for buildings

5

So, what is Glide Student’s vision for the next generation of student accommodation?

A smart building can be defined as a building that uses automated processes to manage its heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security and other systems. So, our vision for Smart Block is straight-forward.

Is this within reach for the large majority of developers?

Previously the amount of investment required to install and integrate Smart technology and to control every system and the subsequent lack of return-on-investment has made the business case weak. However, this is highly likely to change in the short to medium term. Developers should therefore be preparing their buildings for an IoT and Smart technology boom and looking at incremental gains as new technologies become available.

• A Smart Block should be future-proof. The infrastructure should be installed to support constantly evolving technology;

• A Smart Block should positively impact both operational efficiency and operational costs and deliver a rapid return-on-investment;

• A Smart Block should enable technology that supports happier, healthier, safer students and builds more cohesive communities.

Our vision is called Smart Block

SFI™Future-proof the asset

BroadbandEnhance Resident

Experience

Smart TechnologyReduce OPEX

Software & DataAdd value

A future-proof Smart Block ecosystemThe need to future-proof a building, reduce costs & differentiate student experience creates a demand for technological advances. Frameworks have been established to meet those demands comprised of people, technology and market drivers to help a Smart Block to thrive.

6

Interfaces

Integration

Software Hardware

API | Smart protocols | Application Platform Hubs | Gateways | AP | CPE | Switch

Application

Room Control | Billing | Energy Management | Security Environment Control

Damp | Security | Energy Management | Asset ProtectionAnalytics | Predictive Maintenance

Users

Interfaces

Devices

Sensor | Meter | Actuator | Thermostat | Door Lock

Smart Infrastructure

Prop Tech | SFI™

Smart Nation

Smart City | Mobile Network | National loT | Smart Meter | Fibre

Market Drivers

Standards | Protocols | Legislation | Consumer Demands | Investment | Operational Efficiency

Integration

Application

Smart phone | Tablet | Home display | Voice | Smart TV

Residents Managers

Students Operations | Facilities | IT

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Smart solutions for the Smart Block

Connectivity

Smart Fibre Infrastructure™

Futu

re p

roof

Ope

rati

onal

effi

cien

cy

Use

r exp

erie

nceSmart Home

Light

Heat

Hot water

Access

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Environment

Well-being

Health

Comfort

Productivity

Noise

Utilities

Smart billing

Smart metering

Energy management

Generation

Storage

Brokering

Security

CCTV

Access control

Presence analytics

Face recognition

Number recognition

Community

Public Wi-Fi

Guest access

Entertainment

Smart display

Concierge

A smart vision for student accommodation can be derived from a combination of smart solutions. Accommodation under-pinned with a future-proof infrastructure supports operational efficiencies and student experiences that fit broadly into five categories.

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Smart Block technology

The best smart systems in the world, simply aren’t that smart - yet!

Smart Block brings together established but previously disparate technologies that combine to meet operator ambitions and student demands. In short, these are all the things that you need to build one.

Pervasive Wireless

One thing is for certain, Wi-Fi will be indispensable in delivering a successful student experience. The need for students to use Wi-Fi in communal areas as well as the need for a secure Wi-Fi connection for operations teams creates a dependency on pervasive Wi-Fi. More specifically with the proliferation of I0T devices that use other wireless languages like Zigbee and Bluetooth - the technology could be defined as Pervasive Wireless rather than just Pervasive Wi-Fi.

The dependency on fast, reliable, pervasive and high-speed Wi–Fi will only increase as students need higher bandwidth. Entertainment services like Ultra High Definition (UHD) streaming and Virtual Reality online gaming are becoming mainstream and previously local services like playing music have become cloud services like Spotify, resulting in the need for higher bandwidth. In 2020, building operators will use this technology to support happier, healthier and safer students and to differentiate their buildings from the competition.

Future-proof fibre infrastructure

Every 5 years, the headline speed of student internet services increases. Being able to maintain this trajectory requires an

infrastructure capable of sustaining this growth. A failure to do someans falling behind the market, affecting the desirability of the accommodation. Moreover, the infrastructure must be sufficiently flexible in its design, deployment and also have enough bandwidth for Smart technology to be deployed and integrated. IoT has had a transformative effect on Smart Building automation and control in recent years and introduced new opportunities to improve the efficiency of buildings. But, this should not be at the expense of the student experience or the performance of the building and, as such, bandwidth needs to be future-proofed. The optimum technology that can do this reliably long-term is optical fibre.

Smart Block as a Managed Service

To reduce the hassle of day-to-day management, operators need an appropriate managed service offering. It makes sense for operators to deal with one provider for the duration. Everything from cabling to the opening of the building to a technology re-fresh, is all taken care of, freeing up more time to focus on enriching the student experience.

Big-Data ready infrastructure

Analysing and storing building information could be done locally but as the demand for accessibility increases, reporting and analysis will increasingly be performed in the cloud. What’s more, the appropriate infrastructure needs to be installed to gather vast amounts of data with an appropriate level of network segmentation and security.

Systems integration enables better services

With Smart Block, previously disparate Smart technologies will be packaged into one robust managed service. New technologies will be easily integrated through a defined framework and create a single data set ready to be analysed. This will help to identify cost savings and provide greater functionality and reliability to landlords and students.

9

Smart Block technology pillarsA future-proof infrastructure and systems architecture ensures each technology can be appropriately integrated. A managed service provides the peace of mind that technology can be integrated to meet operational needs and student demands. Savings fall broadly into six key areas.

9

Managed Service

Virtual Reality

Smart Grid Voice

Storage Wayfinding Augmented Reality

Generation Smart Parking Personalisation Voice

5G BrokeringOccupancyAnalytics

Noise Automation Community

National loT Dashboard Automation AirQuality

RemoteManagement

Concierge

IoT IntegrationEnergy

ManagementRemote

ManagementHumidity Smart Appliances Messaging

Pervasive Wi-Fi BillingPredictive

MaintenanceLight Smart Controls Lifestyle

SFI™ Metering Asset Protection Well-being

££ ££££ £££ ££ £ £

Reduced footprint, long term capacity

& flexibility

Big data, process efficiency, zero waste, strategic

planning

Energy

Billing flexibility, tariff optimisation,

bulk supply

Resident satisfaction, auditing and

validation

Enviornment

User delight, resident retention

Unique selling points, upsell opportunities

People

Future Proofing Energy Environment Smart Home PeopleOperations

Saving

Integration Platform

Sensors

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Consumer markets are flooded with Internet of Things targeting the tech-savvy. This general exposure to a multitude of devices makes the job of creating a unified commercial solution challenging.

Put simply, the challenge is to join devices and device datatogether, demystifying the technology to create a single integrated solution with a commercial return-on-investment.

Smart Block aims to get to the heart of the challenge and opportunity of providing student accommodation. Pervasive Wireless that connects multiple devices with different languages solves many of the problems of IoT, notably, the need for potentially hundreds of extra boxes, hubs and cables. A single communication system that marshals and organises devices can be delivered on a much lower cost basis than a traditional Building Management System (BMS). The Smart Block is greater than the sum of its parts and within reach for student accommodation.

Internet of Things

World population 6.3 Billion 6.8 Billion 7.2 Billion 7.6 Billion

Connected Devices 500 Million 12.5 Billion 25 Billion 50 Billion

Connected devices per person.

0.08 1.84 3.47 6.58

2003 2010 2015 2020

More connected devices than people

Source: Cisco IBSG, April 2011

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DevelopersThe concept of Smart Block needs to be considered at the architectural stage. The technology allows more space and freedom for an architect to create amazing spaces that make people happy but, the architect needs to be aware and build this into the design of the building.

Use technology to make experiences in the building richer.

Smart Block will explore ‘the art of the possible’ beyond the basic fabric of the building. Developers have the opportunity to ensure the building infrastructure is future-proof. This gives operators the best solution to achieve outstanding operational efficiencies and differentiate guest experience from the competition.

Creating communities

Outdoor and communal space needs Wi-Fi as part of a community strategy. By encouraging shared experiences students will be inclined to stay. The data will make it possible to understand how these spaces are being used and offer sensible rationale for products and service to be designed around footfall.

OperatorsThe primary focus of the operator is raising operational efficiency and keeping costs down whilst also delivering a first-class student experience. There’s no doubt that light sensors and thermostats have improved the running of a building but what benefit does the next generation of technology provide to the landlord?

The case for change

In our experience, the operations team is limited in their ability to improve efficiency or enhance student experience because they are limited by the tools and data available to them. What if the student didn’t have to complain about a fault, or a member of the team didn’t have to get up in the middle of the night to fix a problem?

What if bills were automatically paid and the staff were empowered to learn new systems?

What if the operations team can focus their efforts on serving students rather than servicing the building?

Facilities and IT are now one and the same

New roles will be created to deal with the data from the building. This new approach to managing the building and quickly and accurately capturing and sharing data will create efficiency and meaningful data to make informed decisions.

Who benefits from Smart Block?

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Smart Block StudentsStudents depend on the internet so it is expected to always work. As one of the first student buildings to unlock the potential of Wireless, IoT and Smart Technology your Smart Block offers a unique experience. Students will encounter communal Wi-Fi first so it needs to be fast and create an impression. Any communal indoor or outdoor space e.g. lounge or cafe will be enhanced by great communal and pervasive Wi-Fi and create a sense of community.

Every service will be available when the student moves in

No waiting, no set up. Fast Wi-Fi is always available. Utilities in the building are intelligently managed so cost savings can be passed on to students and reinvested into enriching the environment, creating a sense of community and making students happier and healthier.

In many cases, consumer demand for new technology will have already out grown the Wi-Fi provided by an accommodation provider. The future-proof infrastructure in the Smart Block will be flexible and continue to meet growing student expectations with faster Wi-Fi, connecting the latest devices, installing smart thermostats, improving the environment and more. By investing heavily to improve student life and millennial well-being your Smart Block will offer an experience that students will be proud to share whilst enhancing your reputation.

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Bringing together best-in-class technical solutions as a single product makes Smart Block a reality.

Glide offers a managed service proposition that brings together Pervasive Wireless, Smart Fibre Infrastructure™ & IoT integration to future-proof the ambitions of developers and operators.

This section focuses on the five key technologies that make Smart Block a reality.

What technology is in Smart Block?

Glide

Submetering Managed Thermostat

Water Escape

Environment Water SafetyReporting Alerts

Management

Network

MonitoringPervasive Wireless

Pervasive Wireless

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SFI™ is much more than super-fast broadband and pervasive wireless. Investing in a future-proofed infrastructure today ensures the property stays relevant and competitive and will be a place that students will want to live in for generations.

Smart Fibre Infrastructure™

The foundation for smart buildings of the future.

Features

• A seamless fibre network connecting every building service

• Less infrastructure, less equipment and less wasted energy

Benefits

• Developer owns the network

• Minimal infrastructure footprint frees up floor space for more or

larger rooms

• Optimal method to deploy 10Gig+ ready networks to future-proof

the building

• Provides local network connection points without significant cable

runs as network demands change

• Sub-network architecture allows for phased project delivery

• Maximise the value of the building and reduce potential for faults

System Diagram

Old New

ROI

In a typical 1200 room project SFI™ will create an extra 10 rooms to rent*

*Example project where reduced SFI™ requirement for distributed comms rooms within the building improved an inefficient architectural design.

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Energy ControlEnergy

ManagementEnergy

ReportsSingleBilling

App

licat

ions

Dat

aCo

mm

unic

atio

nsM

eter

s

WaterMeter

GasMeter

HeatMeter

ElectricityMeter

loT

SFI™

Data Platform

Pervasive Wireless

Features

• Electricity, water and gas supplied to the building metered in bulk• Every meter supplied by a single supplier brings install and support

costs down• Landlord has option to select from energy suppliers based on price or

eco credentials• Utility is distributed around building and each room sub-metered and

monitored• Landlord has access to all data to drive efficiencies and cost savings

Benefits

• Submetering empowers the landlord to better manage a building

• Accurate, reliable metering data and student confidence in a fair deal

• Market beating tariffs from wholesale market

• Valuable insight into how efficiently a building is operating and why

• Analysis on student activity and occupancy levels

• Total flexibility in billing students based on desired rental models e.g.

bills inclusive or PAYG

• Sub-network architecture allows for phased project delivery

• Maximise the value of the building and reduce potential for faults

Submetering deployed over Smart Fibre Infrastructure™ enables operators to access and analyse energy consumption on a granular scale. By moving away from the performance of the whole building to room by room analysis allows the operator to drill into key areas of overuse and regain control of utilities.

SubmeteringMeasuring energy just got easier.

ROI

10 to 20% typical energy cost savings for a submetered building*

* European Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) estimate of savings based on energy data availability and potential interventions.

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App

licat

ions

Dat

aCo

mm

unic

atio

nsM

eter

s

AppHeating

ManagementHeating Reports

OccupancyReports

loT

OccupancySensor

HeatingController

Hot waterSensor

Hot waterController

Smart Thermostat

SFI™

Data Platform

Pervasive Wireless

ROI5 to 20% typical energy savings for a building with managed smart thermostats*

Managed Thermostat Heating

Features

• Intelligent thermostats deployed and designed to save energy and reduce bills

• Connected to user devices to drive location-based heating

• Intuitive student experience using native technology e.g. smartphone controls

• Deployed as part of a Building Management Systems (BMS) and building-wide control of HVAC

Landlord Benefits

• Predict heating system faults, identifies and flags to operator

• Heating performance data available on room by room basis

• Dealing with faults on-site reduces lead time on repairs and number

of callouts

• Heating schedules can be centrally managed

• Vacant rooms to be switched off, cap heat availability and temperatures

Student Benefits

• System intelligence ensures room temperature is better managed• Service updates and guidance on how to improve comfort and reduce energy consumption• Understand environmental and cost implications of different heating schedules• Enhances the home-from-home experience of living in student accommodation

A managed thermostat solution controlled by the landlord. Individual room thermostats added to the overall building heating system will allow students to control their home-from-home environment, be mindful of green credentials whilst retaining overall control for the operator.

Saving money one room at a time.

*Based on a range of enhanced control interventions, from better thermostat control and control limits

through to matching heating demand profiles and enabling responses to energy tariffs.

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Features

• Detection and alerts of standing water, excess humidity

and freezing conditions

• Automatic stopcocks limits damage to the property

• App allows student or building manager to isolate water supply

to specific areas

Benefits

• Mitigates risk of property damage and loss of income

• Reduced insurance premiums can pay for the installation of the system

• Wireless connectivity provides low entry-level investment to install

the system and offsite controls

• Reporting dashboards to analyse and report potential additional

operational savings

AlertsRemote

ManagementResidentOverride

App

licat

ions

Dat

aCo

mm

unic

atio

nsM

eter

s

loT

Leak Sensors

ValveControllers

OverrideSwitch

Water Valves

SFI™

Data Platform

Pervasive Wireless

Making dumb plumbing smart means operators can measure the water flow and the water temperature of the building. This means proactive monitoring and prevention of leaks and water loss that costs time, money and reputation damage.

Stop money going down the drain.

*As reported by the association of British Insurers.

ROI

Risk mitigation against the £2.5million spent in the UK per day on repairing damage caused by water*

Water Escape

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AlertsCompliance

ManagementComplianceMonitoring

App

licat

ions

Dat

aCo

mm

unic

atio

nsM

eter

s

loT

Stored HotWater

Cold Water Outlets

Hot WaterOutlets

Appliances

SFI™

Data Platform

Pervasive Wireless

Features

• Sensors can be retro-fit onto existing plumbing

• Devices can be networked wirelessly and can operate for up to 8 years

• Single sensor to monitor multiple water outlets

• Removes reliance on manual readings

• Deployment is scalable, enabling minimal point monitoring for

compliance, or richer monitoring for operational advantages

Benefits

• Delivers real-time alerts on water outlets that require attention

• Provides complete on-line history & audit trail of temperature and flow

for each monitored outlet

• Helps detect prolonged over-flow as part of a leak monitoring solution

• Generates temperature map for all monitored outlets enabling proactive

maintenance, reducing complaints

Providing water that is safe & healthy is a key responsibility for a landlord, with specific regulatory compliance requirements carried out as manual measurement procedures. Smart Block will automate water safety measurements such as Legionnaires detection.

Keeping guard of your water.

ROI

2-5% typical staff cost savings for a building with a water monitoring system*

* Estimated savings on manual processes & reporting to avoiding costs of bacterial testing.

Water Safety

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App

licat

ions

Dat

aCo

mm

unic

atio

nsM

eter

s

AlertsRemote

Managment

Pervasive Wireless

RoomSensors

CommunalSensors

loT

SFI™

Data Platform

Features

• Real time and historical reporting of temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, light levels, noise levels, contaminants and volatile organic compounds (VOC)

• Benchmarking and trend analysis measured against ideal scenarios• Scalable deployment with wireless, battery powered or pluggable

networked devices

Benefits

• Fact-based information on air quality that enables quantifiable

interventions

• Qualitative feedback to students to provide reassurance and reduce

complaints

• Quantifiable USP to attract and retain students

• Make proactive and data-driven improvements to mental well being

initiatives for students

Research papers like the Stoddart Review have established a firm link between the environment, cognitive behaviour and well being. High levels of CO2 increase stress, anxiety and lowers concentration levels. Studies show that student accommodation is the main place of study on any university campus so the quality of the environment should be appropriately managed.

A breath of fresh air.

ROI

Studies conclude a 2 to 3.5% improvement in productivity by maintaining an optimum study environment*

* Improving Indoor Air Quality Improves the Performance of Office Work and School Work, P. Wargocki 2005 & The Workplace Advantage - The Stoddard Review 2016.

Environment Monitoring

20

Smart Block is ready to go.

In partnership with Glide, property developers and operators can have a building infrastructure today that meets the technology demands of modern student accommodation and protects the building from retrofit upgrades for 50 years.

The future-proof technology to drive operational efficiency is here, it’s affordable and it’s huge. In residential rental markets we are seeing a renewed focus to save money and differentiate properties using technology to attract the next generation of renters by staying relevant and innovative.

Future-proofing and reducing costs are essential for the long-term viability of our sector. By installing Smart Block services, ambitious cost savings and operational targets can be realised. What’s more, the data provided by the building will make it possible to deliver even greater efficiencies in the future.

Students are using the latest consumer technology long before they arrive at university. This brings a level of expectation that devices used for studying, entertainment or comfort will work. Student accommodation must evolve and channel cost savings into student experience to ensure they don’t get left behind. If students can’t use products and services that they have come to depend on, in a warm and comfortable environment they will go elsewhere or be unhappy. Any deployment of Smart technology must be done in a joined up and efficient way to drive the maximum benefit. By installing gateway technologies like Smart Fibre Infrastructure™ and multi-protocol Pervasive Wireless and as part of a managed service then ambitious operational targets can then be realised.

Diversifying and layering new services and technology is key to ensuring students remain interested in your product. The promise of smarter living will create new levels of interest. Living in the Smart Block with improved well-being and a sense of community will create loyalty. All factors that create a reputation for excellence for property developers and operators.

We wanted to go beyond evangelizing disparate technologies. We wanted to explore the role technology will play in creating the Smart Buildings of the future.

That achievable and collective vision is Smart Block.

Conclusion

glidebusiness.co.uk | 01275 793 400Company Registration Number (Registered in England): 3188615

We hope you’ve enjoyed this document.

What’s next?

Get in touch with a member of our Glide team to find out about our fully managed internet service.

Call us on 03333 800 800

Drop us an email at glidestudent@glide.co.uk

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