Ambient

Description 

Standard operating procedure for setting up your PDK community so it can integrate with Ambient. 

Process 

Step 1 - The PDK system at the community is set up on version 2.0. 

How can I tell if my community is on version 2.0? 

To tell whether a given PDK installation is a 1.0 or 2.0 system, look for the System and Health indicator in the top-right corner of the main screen in PDK.io. If you see the System and Health indicator, it means the system is PDK 2.0. If you do not see the indicator, it indicates PDK 1.0. 

Step 2 - The PDK system at the community is live and tested. 

• The system can have one or more PDK Cloud Nodes. 
• Additional PDK door controllers as required. 
• Credential readers and locking hardware for each PDK door are installed and functional. 

Step 3 - Enable Ambient as an integrator in the PDK Integrations section on PDK.io.

1. Go to the community on PDK.io and click into the Integration tile 

2. Select Ambient from the Available Integration tiles 

3. Enable Ambient as the Integration Partner 

Step 4 - Grant Admin Permissions to Ambient. 

1. Navigate to the Permissions section in PDK.io

2. Click on the Add Permission button and add Ambient as an Admin by inputting pdksupport@ambientproptech.com in the Email field and Admin in the Role field.  

Step 5 - Collect the PDK 2.0’s systems System ID 

1. Navigate to the System Settings section in PDK.io.

2. Collect the System ID. The System ID is a long string of numbers and letters. Be careful not to confuse the System ID with the Customer ID; we need the System ID. 

Step 6 - Send confirmation that PDK steps have been completed and share the access control drawing indicating PDK reader locations with Ambient 

1. Please confirm the following steps 1-5 have been completed and share the following with your Ambient project manager: 

You have now successfully completed enabling Ambient as an integration partner on PDK.io! Once you have provided the information in Step 6 to your Ambient project manager, you can coordinate with your Ambient PM to determine when to enable the integration in the Ambient app. 

Frequently asked questions 

Q: How does staff manage resident access to PDK-controlled doors when the Ambient/PDK integration feature is enabled? 

A: Residents that are created in Ambient and pushed to PDK.io will automatically be added to the Ambient Residents Group. Staff will manage resident access to this group the same way as any other group in the PDK.io platform. Ambient will always use the Access Rules provided to residents in PDK.io, so you do not need to worry about setting up new rules or permissions for residents on the Ambient platform! 

We recommend that the Ambient Residents Group serve as the basic common-area/amenity group for the community. If a subset of residents will need access to added amenities, create a new group in PDK.io and add the desired residents to it as needed. 

If you have questions about setting up permissions and rules for residents, please reach out to your PDK integrator/dealer, who should be able to assist you. 

Q: Can the Ambient integration connect to multiple cloud nodes in a single community? 

A: Yes. PDK 2.0 allows for control of multiple cloud nodes within a single PDK system. Because Ambient’s PDK 2.0 integration connects to a PDK 2.0 system rather than individual Cloud Nodes, it can connect to multiple PDK Cloud Nodes within a single community. 

Q: I see a new partition named Ambient. What is this? 

A: Once the PDK / Ambient integration is enabled, Ambient will create a new partition in the community’s account where staff and residents will be added and removed based on their status in Ambient. All existing PDK holders linked to Ambient users, as well as those with email addresses that match Ambient users, are moved into this partition. 

Q: I see three new groups in PDK named Ambient Residents, Ambient Staff, and Ambient System Access. What are these? 

A: 

• All resident holders are added to the Ambient Residents Group. 
• All staff holders are added to the Ambient Staff Group. 
• The Ambient Admin and Ambient Tours holders are automatically created (if they don’t already exist) and are added to the Ambient System Access Group. 
  • Ambient uses these holders for backend troubleshooting and additional features that communities can turn on, such as self-guided touring. 
• Note that our integration DOES NOT remove holders from any groups they are already in, so any other groups and rules the community already has set up will continue to apply. 

Q: What happens if I have existing resident PDK holders (users) before the Ambient / PDK integration is enabled? Will they be linked to Ambient accounts? 

A: All existing PDK holders with email addresses that match Ambient users are moved into the Ambient partition when the two systems sync.

Q: How often does Ambient sync with PDK? 

A: Any time a new resident or staff user is added or removed in Ambient, they are immediately published to PDK. In addition, all users are republished to PDK every 24 hours to ensure that all user data is in sync.