Security Update 

Automated System and “text” notifications

We’ve said goodbye to 2022, and I’m optimistically hopeful for things to come in 2023! We ended the year with automating our telephone pre-authorization system and continue to evolve this process. As many of you know, our Access Management System (ABDi) supported an option for residents to be notified via “text” when someone was processed into the community specifically for their address. I say “text” because the software program actually sends an email that your cellular provider then converts to a text message. Upon receiving several complaints about either text notifications being delayed hours behind the guest’s/vendor’s actual entry or no notification at all, I contacted ABDi. The owner of the company immediately provided this response.

 “As you may or may not be aware, the guest arrival text messages (unlike the mass notification system’s text messages) are not ‘true’ text messages, but rather an email-to-text message, with which we email the phone number at the provider’s address (like 5614513232@vtext.com), which results with the provider converting the email into a text message and forwards to the subscriber. The reason for that, is that if you pick the CHEAPEST plan for ACTUAL text messages, then you’re looking at (cost) of a cent or two per text, and when you multiply by two phones per home, times 500 homes for a community, times 1,000 entries per day, the numbers get to the point where no one is going to pay for it. Everything worked fine for years until recently, when providers like T-Mobile and Verizon started to limit and delay emails to text messages, with the consensus being that they will eliminate it altogether sooner or later. What we are planning to do about it, is to drop support for texts completely. Rather, we will rely on the push notifications that are included with the GateAccess app (free on both Apple’s and Google’s stores), as they do not require the involvement of a provider. They are faster (as they go directly to the device), not limited to two (can use on any number of devices), and importantly, free for the community.”

As noted from ABDi’s response, they will be phasing the email to text notifications out and start relying on their GateAccess app. If you haven’t jumped on board with the ABDi app, this is another reason to download it today. Once you have installed the ABDi GateAccess app, open the app and login with the credentials below.

• The Community Code is TLA.
• Your Username is your primary email address TLA has on file.
• Your Password is your TLA Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Upon successfully installing the ABDi app on your smart device, enabling the guest/vendor notifications on your phone is relatively easy through your phone’s settings.

• On an iPhone: go to SETTINGS > NOTIFICATIONS > GATEACCESS
• On Android: go to SETTINGS > NOTIFICATIONS > APP SETTINGS > APP NOTIFICATIONS > GATEACCESS

Stay Safe. Stay Well,