Since it first debuted back in 2015, Snap One’s OvrC software has become the go-to solution for integrators to remotely manage the devices they install in their customers’ homes, but recent upgrades to the platform have morphed it into being a key operational tool as well. So, OvrC not only saves service truck rolls and valuable time, it has also become the basis of service plans for many integrators.
Indeed, according to the 2022 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis Study, OvrC is used by 73% of the industry’s largest integrators. The system has become so ubiquitous that, on average, there are a whopping 110 devices connected per project to OvrC. That is 10X the number of connected devices for a DIY smart home, according to Evan Marty, director of product management at Snap One.
So with that deep level of penetration in place, when Snap One (Nasdaq: SNPO) recently announced some important changes to OvrC, it was “kind of a big deal,” as anchorman Ron Burgundy might say.
“OvrC has been around for eight years now, and it started really as a device used to or as a platform to reboot outlets on a white box,” says Evan Marty, director of product management at Snap One. “Over the years it has grown and morphed quite a bit to really be more of a complete suite of troubleshooting and configuration tools for Snap One products, as well as other network attached devices.”
Marty says there “two flavors” of OvrC both from a connectivity/control standpoint:
- OvrC Pro, which is an agent that runs on Control4 controller, Araknis Networks and Pakedge routers, as well as a standalone OvrC hub. Its primary purpose is to scan the entire network and tell you if devices are connected or disconnected from the network.
- OvrC-enabled devices, which are components like WattBox, or Snap One’s wireless access points or surveillance cameras that connect directly to the OvrC servers. They don’t need an OvrC Pro agent to become useful inside of OvrC. So, for example, if you had a job with just one WattBox, you’d be able to control that outlet without any other hardware.
Similarly, there are multiple methods of interacting with OvrC. Namely, via web browser, mobile app, or via a consumer-facing application called OvrC Connect that allows customers to execute macros that are that are created and managed by the servicing dealer.
Looking Closely at Recent OvrC Upgrades
There has been a series of upgrades to the platform over the past 12 months that Marty describes has stayed focused “first mile issues” covering the reliability and the robustness of the product.
“One of our biggest accomplishments is last September when we released the change in notifications. We went back and scrapped the way our notifications were configured and rewrote that process all the way from the ground up. As a result, we saw an 82% reduction in notifications,” says Marty.
The change means that when an integrator gets a notification now, it is accurate, up to date and actionable.
“Giving bad information really doesn’t do anybody any good, so we’re really focused on that,” comments Marty. “Additionally, we have recently started to see a transition from OvrC being a remote management tool or remote monitoring tool to really be more operationally essential.”
That transition is being driven by the most recent release of the new Dashboard, which was redesigned to help integrators be more efficient and effective when they’re servicing their partners. Among the changes were simple things like having a phone number or email address of contact information, and when using the mobile app, the ability to pin the job site location, then launch Google Maps and get directions for the technician along with specific details that can be included such as the color of house. The Dashboard also added linked resources, so integrators can access important documents like proposals, CAD files, or prewire photos.
“I’m really happy with the new Dashboard. We’ve had some tremendous feedback around it and that’s just the start of what we are doing to be more operationally important,” notes Marty.
He explains that Snap One realized that there were multiple individuals within custom installation companies that all had different uses for OvrC.
“You have people that are trying to schedule appointments with customers for service calls. You have finance people trying to email the customer to send them an invoice. You have sales guys that are bringing in new sales leads and starting the sales cycle. There are designers that are contributing proposals and documents,” he cites.
The idea of this dashboard is that it is an aggregation of all those controls and contributions throughout the entire process on a project. The information can now be collected by different people within the company and shared with less risk of repetitive data needing to be input, thus eliminating potential inputting errors.
All the data now has a tracked history of information which results in a better long-term situation for the client and makes it potentially more valuable to a service technician who might be on the project for the first time. With all the data in hand, he or she won’t have to speculate where the wires are located behind the wall, for example.
“We are effectively creating digital project binders for every job that are up to date and accurate, regardless of who’s adding information,” he adds.