HOMETACT: The Cutting Edge Smart-home Platform inJapan

Yoshihiro Tachibana

Director
Residential Business Planning Dept.
Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.

1. Introduction ―What is HOMETACT? ―The HOMETACT integrated smart-home ser vice
was announced in November, 2021, consisting of a systemside that includes TACTCORE, an IoT platform for realestate management business, a HOMETACT application
and TACTBASE, a management portal function. It also has
integrated smart-home user support, which includes equipment
and configuration services and a call center (Figure 1). Systemdevelopment and platform operation is handled by Mitsubishi
Estate. It is built to be reliable, with integrated service support■ Figure 1: HOMETACT platform overview■ Figure 2: HOMETACT service provision organization

through collaboration with enterprises such as the Bic Camera
Group, it integrates smart-home related services that werepreviously fragmented by device or solution, and is provided
as a single package (Figure 2). As of November, 2021, many
manufacturers were participating, including home equipment
manufacturers such as Rinnai and IoT device manufactures inJapan and overseas. The HOMETACT ecosystem is expanding
rapidly, with further collaborations to be announced in the future.

2. W hy smart-home technology is not
penetrating the residential space in Japan

Currently, HOMETACT is gradually being introduced
into Mitsubishi Estate’s “The Parkhabio” series of leasehold
condominiums. Since the press release, there has been a strong
reaction, including discussion initiated with many manufacturersof residential equipment and IoT devices and inquiries frommany other developer companies in our own industry who areconsidering adopting the system. As background to this response,
there are several obstacles to introducing smart-home technologies
in the residential space in Japan.
HOMETACT aims to eliminate the following obstacles tointroduction of smart- home technologies: (1) Applications forusing it are fragmented and they cannot be operated together(multiple applications assumed), (2) It is difficult for users to installand configure themselves (installation hurdles are high), and (3)User services such as call centers and emergency support are notwell developed. HOMETACT truly removes these barriers,
and aims to spread smart-home technology broadly in Japan.
Being an integrated developer and having a strong sense of these
difficulties are important factors that have enabled us to develop
HOMETACT. The fact that we have received inquiries fromother companies in this industry also suggests that this service
addresses some of the pain points felt in the real-estate industry.
To encourage penetration of smart-home technology in theJapanese market, it is extremely important that services are easy
for developers to adopt. A new approach that meets new customer
needs and is different than existing Home Energy Management
Systems (HEMS) is critical.
This article describes the strengths and extensibility ofthis service as an IoT platform and its user-interface and userexperience (UI/UX) design, starting with how HOMETACT
came to be developed, and then touches on HOMETACT’s goalof becoming the “new residential-space infrastructure.”

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3. History of HOMETACT development

As background to Mitsubishi Estate starting to develop anIoT platform as an integrated developer, we go back to June,
2018, when the “Mitsubishi Estate Residence Club” membershiporganization was launched. Initially, as the person in chargeof promoting the project, I was working on the large project ofintegrating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for
each of the companies in our Residential Business Group withthe existing member organizations, which were separate. Afterthe launch, however, developers felt that the system’s content
capabilities were limited in terms of “building a digital customer
contact point.” Developers had initiatives to expand opportunities
for providing real-estate services such as renovations and agency
for buying and selling, to advance marketing with various sales
promotions, and to build customer loyalty (i.e. holding events,presentations, etc.). To build a stronger customer contact point,
they felt a need for a digital system able to connect with customers
at a more basic, lifestyle level. Around 2017, we began seriously
considering introducing smart-home technology universally,prompted by our interest in using smart locks as a customer
contact-point, but this beginning encountered many issues. At
the time, recognition of smart locks was very low compared tonow, and there were concerns that we no longer face (althoughsome hold deep-seated biases), such as “it seems dangerous,” “areal key would be safer,” and “what if it got hacked.” As such thehopes of the aforementioned Mitsubishi Estate Residence Cluband Mitsubishi Estate properties, to introduce and collaborate on
smart-home functions in our properties, did not come true.

4. Collaboration with YONOMI, Inc., including
American market survey

However, it became clear that the image of using smart locks
and smart-home systems as a digital customer contact point wasincreasing day-by-day, and market studies continued after theMitsubishi Estate Residence Club was established. In 2019, smarthome market surveys in the USA had become established. It wasthere that we encountered YONOMI, Inc., which was providing acloud-based IoT platform specializing in smart-home technology.
There are many smart-home platform developers in the USA,but the particularly unique point with YONOMI, Inc. is that,rather than developing their own applications, they provided
developers with know-how and an environment (service) able toconnect with a wide range of devices, like the YONOMI ONE
IoT collaboration platform. It provides IoT device API control
for implementing automation that others do not allow easily.
The shock when I first saw multiple manufacturers’ IoT devices
operating together in their offices is unforgettable. It convinced
them that “this is essential technology for implementing UX notseen before in Japan,” and triggered the start of more collaboration.
In that moment, the established notion of smart-hometechnology in Japan, which did not go beyond simple operations

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through an infrared remote control and could only achieve space
productions such as lighting using high-end, wired devices,
was smashed resoundingly. Thus, the HOMETACT projectcame to life based on the theme of “Producing new smart-homeexperiences in Japan through API collaboration.”

5. Start of negotiation toward API
collaboration with manufacturers in Japan

YONOMI, Inc. is expanding collaboration with many majorinternational manufacturers of IoT appliances and devices that
already announced collaborations with HOMETACT, including
Philips Hue, SONOS, and Roomba, the robot vacuum cleanersfrom iRobot Inc., and we expect such collaborations to continue
to expand in the future. This is an extremely important aspect for
HOMETACT extensibility in the future. It will be important
for the company to build a network for API collaboration withmajor Japanese device manufacturers, to utilize this strength in thefuture.
As you know, there are still few examples of platform or
device API collaboration among domestic manufacturers inJapan, and when we actually began negotiations, several major
manufacturers refused for various reasons such as, “we cannot
move forward on providing an API,” or “we have not adequatelyorganized our API.” In spite of this, HOMETACT has currently
announced collaboration with several manufacturers, whosympathize with the HOMETACT vision of “creating newsmart-home experiences in Japan through API collaboration,” andwe have a history of promoting joint development through steadycollaborative effort (Figure 3).
■ Figure 3: HOMETACT supported devices/participatingcompany list

So why did domestic and international manufacturers approve
API collaboration and decide to participate with HOMETACT?
It became clear in discussion with each manufacturer that theirreal intention was to increase use of their IoT devices. Althougheach manufacturer was building cloud services and developing
applications, provision of these products was scattered andultimately, user registration rates were low and in many cases thefunctionality they had created was not being used.

Manufacturers were not able to obtain adequate usage data
either, and they were not able to expand potential business models
utilizing IoT. Of course, developers using the devices also could
not get feedback on user satisfaction, so in many cases users did
not continue using the IoT devices. In fact, the smart-homemarket in Japan was caught in a negative spiral.
With HOMETACT, users simply log in, and they canimmediately start using the IoT devices already installed andconfigured in the residential space. By using “Scenes” and“MyRules” as described below, they can configure their smart
home as they like within a matter of minutes. We do not think abetter UX exists from a user perspective. It has been implementedat HOMETACT Lab Akasaka (a laboratory providing experienceof HOMETACT device linking and space production—detailsbelow) and in our Group properties (The Parkhabio series ofMitsubishi Estate Residence leasehold apartments), and provides
a smooth home-automation experience like never before. The
following sections describe “Scenes” and “MyRules” supporting
home automation, which are key features of HOMETACT.

decided to provide the service without presets and assume users
would create their own freely. For both Scenes and MyRules,
users can select behaviors of the associated device intuitively(Figure 4), and there is no need to jump to the apps provided byeach manufacturer. A major feature of HOMETACT is that all
configuration can be completed within it.
■ Figure 4: Concept screen-shot of a “Scene” list

6. Get familiar with home automation using“Scenes” and “MyRules”

HOMETACT has two functions: “Scenes” and “MyRules”;
that form the core of home automation.
As its name implies, a “Scene” is a function that allows simple
linked control of IoT devices for a scenario in everyday life, such as“Good morning,” “I’m going out,” “I’m home,” or “Relax mode.”With HOMETACT, residents can freely combine “installeddevices” that were provided with their apartment with “bringyour-own devices” that they have purchased, such as SONOS
Wi-Fi audio speakers, Philips Hue smart lighting, or a Roomba
robotic vacuum cleaner, and configure linked operations easily.
In addition to operation from the app, Scenes can also be initiatedwith a voice operation, by linking with Google Assistant or Alexa.
A “MyRule” adds a trigger (condition) to device operations
without requiring an app or voice command, such as “When I
arrive at the nearest train station in the evening, turn on the airconditioner cooling, start the bath, and turn on the lights andmusic,” (using the smartphone location and time as the trigger) or“Open the curtains and start the air conditioner cooling at sunrise”(starting multiple devices triggered by sunrise). This function iswhat implements “real” home automation (automated control).
Compared with “Scenes”, which can control groups of IoT devices
for a given scenario in daily life, “MyRules” are for somewhat
more-advanced users, but they are very effective for blending thesmart home into the user’s own life.
During the service launch, we considered including preset
Scenes and MyRules (for example, creating a typical “GoodMorning” setting, etc.), but when we conducted user testing,younger participants in particular were able to create their own
within one or two minutes, even without explanation, so we

In considering the HOMETACT UI/UX, we also designed
the operation buttons for each device to be simple and minimized
the linked functions as much as possible. For example, a hotwater heater remote control has a simple one-button design witha bathtub icon beside it to fill the bath automatically, which isthe button that we would push each day (Fig. 5). Each device
operation button is separated into a title and detailed functions(two or three levels), but supporting every function provided by the
manufacturer could be confusing for users, so we did not hesitate
to pare down the linked functions to make function selection
easier for users when creating Scenes and MyRules as describedabove. Although manufacturers put effort into creating theirfunction set, they tend to include functions users will not use. To
design the HOMETACT UI/UX from a user perspective, wealso collaborated with a team from an overseas design firm, andwe have had success with this type of implementation.
Of course, this UI/UX needs to be improved constantly. Often
in Japan, application services are not updated after they have beenlaunched, but users interact with their smart homes every day sothere is much feedback that must be collected carefully, and anagile organization for improving functionality is essential. It is
now almost one year since the service began and we have beenissuing monthly updates of varying size to continuously improve
the service.

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17■ Figure 5: Concept screen-shot of Rinnai “Bath remotecontrol”

7. Next generation space infrastructure

HOMETACT is currently being provided as a smart-homeservice focused on home automation, but it can also provide
solutions to various social issues in the smart-home domain.
One such area is extensibility in the field of real-estate tech.
There is little need to explain linking with smart locks as digitaltransformation (DX) for real-estate management work. The
inefficiency of managing physical keys is a heavy burden on
management companies, so use of smart locks is spreading as
companies work seriously on DX, and this is definitely a factor in
the increasing popularity and use of smart locks. HOMETACT
implements linking with smart locks, which enables developers
and real-estate management companies to increase property
value and customer satisfaction with smart-home technology,
and it can also be used for DX of management work. The global
trend toward smart locks is already irreversible, so we can expect
it to continue to increase. Combining smart locks and smarthome technology is also already becoming main-stream as a
new residential device in the USA. HOMETACT can also linkwith the Linough Inc. “Smart Preview” service, which supports
un-staffed previewing of properties, so by using HOMETACT
with that company’s smart lock (Ninja Lock M), managementcompanies can support keyless management and previews.
A second area is as an point of entry for lifestyle-relatedservices. Smart-home technology can make life more convenientwith home automation, but it can also have the role of connectingwith lifestyle-related services within the home. For example, asmart lock could be used to allow lifestyle-related services to enter
the home, such as for deliveries, for domestic help, or for nursing
care visits, and could provide opportunities for services such as

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monitoring or health care for users (residents), based on datadetected by sensors and other devices.
Lifestyle-related services using IoT, like those described above,
will continue to spread, and considering that both hardware
and software IoT support will be needed in the residential spacein the future, developers providing residential spaces will not
simply be required to install the latest devices and appliances,it will be important for them to introduce services that haveongoing expandability in software. As software in the residential
space, HOMETACT is driving extensibility within the home byexpanding API linking with lifestyle-related services.
A third area is linking with the energy-management domain.
So far, HOMETACT has expanded its ecosystem with API
linking, but we are also considering linking with ECHONET
Lite, in anticipation of linking with Home Energy Management
Systems (HEMS) in the future. The trend to reduce CO2emissions is recently considered to be an urgent issue bydevelopers, and user awareness of ecological issues has increased
dramatically, so contributing to reducing CO2 is recognized as anextremely important theme in this domain. We have received arange of industrial and academic support in studying this theme,
and as a company, we are working hard in this area to spread
HOMETACT as lifestyle infrastructure in the residential space
for the future.

8. Conclusion ― Building an ecosystem ―We have described HOMETACT from various perspectives,
and we hope that if you are an organization or enterprisedesiring to spread smart-home technology, you will make fulluse of HOMETACT. Even internationally, it is very rare tosee developers starting smart-home platform services, and tothe contrary, one could say that the Japanese market has been
instrumental in establishing such services. To develop the smarthome market in Japan, we cannot depend on the conventional
approach, in which developers combine and assemble functions
that manufacturers develop in fierce competition. A newecosystem must be built with collaboration among developers,
manufacturers and lifestyle-related service providers, as has been
put into practice with HOMETACT. To do so, collaboration
among industry, government and academia will also beessential, and we plan to continue developing HOMETACT
as next-generation lifestyle through many and various types ofcollaboration.

[Reference: HOMETACT installation example]
Installation is complete on three Parkhabio Series properties:
The Parkhabio Yoyogi Hatsudai, The Parkhabio Azabu Juban,
and The Parkhabio Koishikawa.
■ The Parkhabio Yoyogi Hatsudai[HOMETACT Tours]
Reservations are required for the “HOMETACT Lab
Akasaka” showroom, where HOMETACT can be experienced(in the Mitsubishi Estate Home Akasaka Housing Gallery,Tokyo, Minato-ku, Akasaka 7-5-5). This is a laboratory wherepeople can have a smart-home experience like never before, as
described in this article. For a tour, please do not hesitate toinquire as indicated below.
■ HOMETACT Lab Akasaka■ The Parkhabio Azabu Juban

Inquiries: Yoshihiro Tachibana, Residential Business Planning
Dept., Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.
smarthome@mec.co.jp■ The Parkhabio Koishikawa

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