THE SYSTEM
We Sell a System,
Not a Computer
Four tiers, one architecture. Every node runs locally, operates near-silently, and belongs to you forever. We procure the hardware at cost plus 10% and show you the invoice — we don’t make our money on the box, we make it on the integration and the care.
The Nodes
The brain of your smart home. Compact, energy-efficient hardware that runs every automation locally. Four tiers — and each one is additive, so you add a node rather than replacing one.
Essential
STARTING POINTZimaBlade 7700
Home Assistant, MQTT, Zigbee2MQTT, Z-Wave JS, and the core Somni services. Assistant runs via cloud AI providers.
Procured at cost + 10%. We’ll show you the invoice.
Home
RECOMMENDEDZimaBoard 2 (832)
Everything Essential runs, with room for 25+ services, three-zone networking, local databases, and long-term history. Assistant runs via cloud AI providers.
Procured at cost + 10%. We’ll show you the invoice.
Home+
GROWING HOMESZimaBoard 2 + SFF node
Everything Home runs, plus a local NVR and camera pipeline, real storage for photos and backups, multi-zone coverage, and n8n workflows. Assistant runs via cloud AI providers.
Procured at cost + 10%. We’ll show you the invoice.
Intelligence
FULLY LOCAL AINVIDIA DGX Spark / ASUS Ascent GX10
Everything Home+ runs, plus large AI models on your own hardware via Ollama — local voice, wake word, and response. Your conversations never leave the house.
Procured at cost + 10%. We’ll show you the invoice.
Honest Hardware Pricing
Every node is procured at cost plus 10%, and we’ll show you the invoice. An Essential node runs about $200 — that wouldn’t pay for the drive out to your house. Our margin is in the integration and the care.
Offline Operation
Everything runs locally. If your internet goes down, your automations keep working. At Intelligence, so does the assistant.
Additive, Never Replaced
Moving up a tier means adding a node, not throwing one away. Your configuration, automations, and devices carry forward untouched.
Where the Assistant Runs
The AI assistant works at every tier — Essential included. What changes between tiers isn’t whether you get one. It’s the address it answers from.
Essential, Home, Home+
Assistant via cloud AI providers
The assistant answers through cloud AI providers. You get the full conversational experience — ask about your home, adjust anything by voice or text, get real answers.
- + Full natural-language control
- + Requests leave the house to be answered
- + Automations still run locally during an outage
- + Upgrade to local anytime by adding a node
Intelligence
Assistant fully local via Ollama
Same assistant, running on 128GB of unified memory in your own house. Nothing is sent anywhere to be answered.
- + Large AI models on your hardware (Ollama)
- + Conversations never leave the house
- + Local voice — wake word, speech, response
- + Cloud providers optional, never required
Wireless Coordinators
Dedicated radios that communicate directly with your smart devices. Included at every tier — no cloud required.
Zigbee Coordinator
Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 or equivalent
Works with thousands of devices from Philips Hue, IKEA, Aqara, Sonoff, and more. Devices connect directly to your hub, not the cloud.
Z-Wave Coordinator
Zooz 800 Series
Ideal for locks, sensors, and switches from Yale, Schlage, GE, Zooz, and others. Superior for security devices with encrypted communication.
Why Two Protocols?
Zigbee and Z-Wave each have strengths. Zigbee excels at sensors and bulbs with fast response times. Z-Wave is preferred for locks and switches with better range and security. Having both ensures compatibility with virtually any smart device you want to add.
UPS Battery Backup
Keeps your smart home running when the power flickers or fails. Included at every tier.
Runtime
15-30minutes of backup power
Enough time for most outages to resolve or for graceful shutdown. Sized to your tier — an Intelligence node draws more, so it gets a larger UPS.
Graceful Shutdown
If power stays out, the system safely shuts down to protect your data and configuration. No corruption, no lost settings.
Power Monitoring
Track power quality, outage history, and battery health. Get notified of power events and understand your home's electrical patterns.
Why it matters: Smart locks need power to work. A UPS ensures your entry systems stay operational during brief outages, and your entire configuration is protected during longer ones.
Network Equipment
Optional but recommended. Professional networking ensures your smart home is fast, reliable, and secure. From Home up, the dual 2.5GbE node handles three-zone segmentation on its own.
Recommended: UniFi Stack
We recommend Ubiquiti UniFi equipment for its reliability, local management, and seamless integration with your smart home system.
Router / Gateway
- + Dream Machine or Dream Router
- + Built-in firewall and IDS/IPS
- + Traffic analytics and DPI
- + VPN server capability
Switch
- + PoE for cameras and access points
- + VLAN support for network isolation
- + Managed switching
- + Quiet, fanless options available
Access Points
- + WiFi 6 or WiFi 7
- + Seamless roaming
- + Multiple SSIDs for IoT isolation
- + Ceiling or wall mount options
IoT VLAN Isolation
What It Does
Smart devices are placed on a separate network from your computers and phones. They can be controlled but cannot access your personal devices or data.
Why It Matters
Many smart devices have poor security. Network isolation means a compromised light bulb cannot sniff traffic or attack your laptop. Defense in depth.
The Upgrade Path
Every tier is additive. You add a node — you never replace one. Nothing gets thrown away, and nothing gets rebuilt from scratch.
Essential → Home
Add a ZimaBoard 2 for room to grow, faster dashboards, and three-zone networking.
The ZimaBlade stays in service — it becomes a secondary node.
Home → Home+
Add a small-form-factor node when you want camera recording, real storage, and multi-zone coverage.
Your ZimaBoard 2 keeps running automation. The new node takes on video and storage.
Any tier → Intelligence
Add a DGX Spark or Ascent GX10 to bring the assistant home — 128GB of unified memory running large models locally.
Existing nodes stay exactly where they are. The AI computer joins the cluster.
What carries forward: every automation, every device pairing, every dashboard, every byte of history, and your entire configuration. An upgrade adds capacity — it doesn’t reset your home.
What You Own
All hardware is yours. Forever. No leasing, no lock-in, no surprises.
Yours Forever
When you pay the setup fee, the hardware belongs to you. It's not a lease, rental, or subscription device.
Cancel, Keep Everything
If you cancel Somni service, your system keeps working. You keep the hardware, the data, and the configuration.
Open Source, No Lock-in
Everything runs on open-source software. Home Assistant, MQTT, Linux. Any engineer can maintain it.
Complete Portability
If you leave Somni, you have options:
Self-Manage
Learn to run it yourself. We provide documentation.
Hire Another Pro
Any Home Assistant expert can take over management.
Export Everything
All data and configs are exportable to any platform.
Warranty & Replacement
Clear policies for hardware protection and replacement.
Year 1
Full manufacturer warranty coverage, and your first year of Care is included with every system. If hardware fails due to defects, we replace it at no charge.
- + First year of Care included — every tier
- + Covers manufacturing defects
- + Free replacement hardware
- + Free setup and configuration
- + No deductibles
Year 2 and Beyond
Replacement hardware at cost plus 10% — the same rate we quoted you on day one. We handle all setup and migration at no additional charge under Care.
- + Hardware at cost + 10%, invoice shown
- + Free setup and configuration
- + Data migration included
- + Shipped next business day
- + Continue Care at your tier’s rate, or go hourly
Typical Replacement Costs (Year 2+)
| Component | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Essential node (ZimaBlade 7700) | ~$200 |
| Home node (ZimaBoard 2) | ~$400 |
| Home+ SFF node | ~$500 |
| Intelligence node (DGX Spark / Ascent GX10) | ~$3,800 |
| Zigbee Coordinator | $25-40 |
| Z-Wave Coordinator | $35-50 |
| UPS Battery Backup | $80-150 |
Prices reflect current market rates and may vary. Everything here is procured at cost plus 10% — we’ll show you the invoice. Replacing one node never means replacing the rest of the system.
Complete System Overview
The node scales with your tier. Everything below it is the same at every tier.
| Tier | Node | Assistant runs | Hardware | Year 1 from | Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | ZimaBlade 7700 | Cloud providers | ~$200 | $2,000 | $600/yr |
| Home | ZimaBoard 2 (832) | Cloud providers | ~$400 | $2,900 | $750/yr |
| Home+ | ZimaBoard 2 + SFF node | Cloud providers | ~$900 | $4,300 | $900/yr |
| Intelligence | DGX Spark / Ascent GX10 | Fully local (Ollama) | ~$3,800 | $8,100 | $1,200/yr |
First year of Care is included with every system. Care rates above apply from year two onward.
| Component | Specification | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Zigbee Coordinator | Zigbee 3.0, 100+ devices | Sensors, bulbs, switches |
| Z-Wave Coordinator | 800 Series, Long Range | Locks, switches, security devices |
| UPS Backup | 15-30 min runtime, sized to tier | Power protection & monitoring |
| AI Assistant | Cloud providers, or local at Intelligence | Natural-language control at every tier |
| Network (optional) | UniFi router, switch, APs | IoT isolation, reliable WiFi |
Not Sure Which Tier?
Most homes want Home. Tell us about your space and we’ll tell you honestly which node you need — and which you don’t.