Case Study: Water Softener OEM enables dealer service access while protecting customer privacy with Ayla Networks' role-based access platform

Water Softener OEM Balances End-Customer Privacy with Dealer Service Access Using Ayla’s Role-Based Access Technology

A leading residential water softener OEM with a 90+ year history and a network of 500+ dealers developed cloud-connected units so dealers could monitor and service installed systems remotely. The company’s challenge was balancing end-customer privacy—since device data can reveal household water usage patterns—with dealers’ need for enough information to detect and resolve problems.

Ayla implemented a granular, role-based access framework that defined a limited “Dealer” role, delivered event-driven notifications, and allowed dealers to request time-limited elevated access that customers can grant or revoke for troubleshooting. The OEM then built dealer and support portals on Ayla’s APIs, preserving customer control over data while improving remote service efficiency, dealer productivity and revenue, and enabling flexible future access policies.