Developed in collaboration with ABDi founder Roy Nakdimon, CMS Next carries nearly 30 years of guardhouse knowledge onto a modern, AI-powered cloud platform.
Envera Systems, the leading provider of software-enabled security for community associations, today launched CMS Next, the next generation of the ABDi Community Management System.
ABDi CMS launched the community management category nearly 30 years ago. Visitor management systems have come and gone since then, but CMS has stayed a fixture in the guardhouse, learning and adapting alongside the security directors, guards, and community managers who use it every shift. CMS Next carries that accumulated operational knowledge onto a modern, AI-powered cloud platform built for the real world, where speed, reliability, and security matter as much as ease of use.
The platform was developed in collaboration with Roy Nakdimon, the industry veteran who founded Applications by Design, Inc. (ABDi) in 1997 and built the original CMS. Working with Envera’s ABDi team and customers, Nakdimon revisited what made CMS the standard for gated communities, high-rises, and country clubs, then rebuilt it from the ground up.
Also Read: CIO Influence Interview with John Elliott, Cybersecurity Author Fellow at Pluralsight
“ABDi was never just software to me. It was built one conversation at a time with the security directors and guards who use it,” said Roy Nakdimon, founder of ABDi. “So the goal wasn’t a new system. It was the system they already know, rebuilt with nearly thirty years of hindsight and none of the old constraints. What was right, we kept and sharpened. Nothing carried over just because it was already there. Matching what CMS does today was only the starting line. A next-generation system has to do things the current one can’t, and that’s where most of the work went. I’m confident in where ABDi is headed with Envera.”
Familiar by design: CMS Next was built so experienced users feel at home from the first sign in. The layout and key commands security directors rely on every shift stay right where they are, now on a modern cloud platform with a completely refreshed interface, faster response times, and access from any device. A redundant online and offline mode keeps the guardhouse running even when the connection doesn’t, and user-customizable reporting replaces one-size-fits-all reports. CMS Next also introduces new modules for tee-time management, short-term rentals, and vendor management. Existing clients can migrate directly to CMS Next in minutes.
“When I meet with our security director clients there are a few consistent themes I hear: 1) don’t mess with good stuff we have in CMS, 2) Keep the support operations top notch, and 3) give us a next generation product.” said Devon Watson, CEO of Envera Systems. “I’m very pleased that we have been able to deliver on all three of those commitments: continuing the proven legacy of CMS, strengthening our support operations with key hires like Gilbert Ruiz and now introducing CMS Next to the market.”
Envera will continue to support the existing ABDi CMS and Community+ platforms for the communities that rely on them today and into the future. General release of CMS Next is targeted for Q1 2027, and Envera is working directly with current customers to plan upgrades on a schedule that fits each community’s operations and strategy.
Catch more CIO Insights: How Are CIOs Aligning Technology with Workforce Agility?
[To share your insights with us, please write to psen@itechseries.com ]
