Q&A
Can a Home Assistant System Work in the Enterprise?
Learn how IT is utilizing home automation tools to simplify their organizational workloads.
Home Assistant Supervised System (HASS) is packed with features to make everyday life easier and more connected. But it's not just for home use, and its adoption as an IT tool is growing.
In a preview of his upcoming TechMentor session (taking place on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash. Aug. 5-9) Microsoft MVP Mike Nelson shares some insights into how IT is transforming this consumer product into a valuable enterprise tool, and the limitations it comes packed with.
And for more insights into integrating HASS into your daily IT work using a ZimaBoard server, HASS installation and various integrations and add-ons, join us for Nelson's TechMentor talk, "Simple Home Assistant Server Can Make Your IT Life Better" in August. Register by July 12 to save $300!
Redmond: Our audience of IT pros may not be too familiar with HASS. Can you briefly explain what it is and how you've seen it used in enterprise or SMB scenarios?
Nelson: Home Assistant Supervised System (HASS) is an open source Home Automation solution that can run on various devices and it can extend into every area of your life, including your daily professional one. HASS is a "Home" Automation solution and is not meant to be a commercial IT one. That said, I have seen it in use in a few datacenters and smaller IT Shops, but mostly it is used as a simple tool for IT folks to automate, nerd out a bit on the dashboards and have a bit of fun! You can do this by utilizing over 7200 software integrations that work with the Home Assistant as well as custom solutions you can create yourself.
Are there any IT scenarios for which you wouldn't recommend HASS? What are the limits of its capabilities?
I do not advocate or recommend using HASS in a production IT environment. This is mainly for use for individuals and an extension of what can be done with HASS in a "Home" environment.
How should IT pros adjust their security strategies so they can be effective in a HASS environment? Are there compliance issues that they should also plan ahead for?
HASS has built-in security for its operating system and controller software, but the integrations are the key factor when evaluating them for your security posture. Each "official" integration has their own certifications and security, while unofficial integrations may not. I don't advocate or recommend implementing HASS in a production IT environment, but if you choose to, you would need to evaluate the need for the integration, the possible security risks involved, and any governing compliance requirements before implementation.
What kinds of system integration issues should IT teams prepare for it they're considering using HASS?
HASS isn't meant to be used as a system within an IT infrastructure. It is meant for the "Home," but in this session, I will show how you can adapt it to help you automate your IT life.