Upgrading security and access technology makes us safer. “Safety” can sometimes feel abstract, yet better access control has a real impact on the day-to-day working lives of everyone who comes into contact with it. How do we know? Because we ask them.
Extending the coverage of traditional access control has long been expensive or intrusive — usually both. If you want to move on from mechanical keys and the myriad hassles of key management, wireless locks are a faster and more cost-effective way to extend an access control system.
“Wireless electronic locks with inbuilt RFID readers are the most cost-effective way to upgrade access control and take it to more doors,” says Lars Angelin, Business Development Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. “Wireless locks can extend your existing wired system, meaning you don’t rip out your current secure doors and start again.”
“And because they are battery-powered, and there’s no cabling or intrusive building work, they are much cheaper to install and run than standard electronic door security.”
Why do facility managers choose wireless locks?
“Since we installed Aperio, we have not had a break-in,” says Cédric Lopez, maintenance manager at Luminy University, France. A major modernization project provided the opportunity to upgrade campus security with more than 400 Aperio® online wireless locking devices.
The facility management team controls everything in real time — legacy and new Aperio-enabled doors — from their existing ARD interface. Using the same integrated system, staff book seminar rooms when they need. Students no longer hang around at the classroom door: their own access cards let them in at timetabled lesson slots.
How do access system manufacturers integrate wireless locks?
“Our Aperio technology is built on an open platform, so these wireless locks integrate seamlessly with more than 100 different security and building management systems,” says Angelin. “Aperio locks are modular, so you can add locks gradually to increase the reach of your system over time, as budgets allow. You don’t even need to exchange RFID cards.”
At Plexal, a major new flexible workspace in East London, academics work together with technology companies, innovative start-ups and creatives. Up to 800 entrepreneurs use Plexal to devise, create and launch products and services.
Plexal’s new Aperio wireless locks are integrated with DoorFlow, NetNodes’ online platform for managing and auditing building access. “Plexal required an adaptable locking solution for a range of different doors and, with no wiring required, it was quick and easy to install Aperio with minimal disruption,” says Stewart Johnson, Director at NetNodes.
What do installers think of wireless locks?
According to one recent report, three-quarters of professional security installers agree wireless locks make installation easier, quicker and more cost-effective*. For example, it is fast and easy to switch an old-fashioned mechanical handle for an award-winning Aperio wireless handle with integrated RFID reader, to bring more doors into your access system**.
“Should any additional doors need to be added to the [Plexal] system in the future, this can be done easily, without modifying or changing the aesthetics of the environment,” adds NetNodes’ Stewart Johnson. “This also minimises future installation costs, offering a cost-effective and straightforward access control upgrade.”
At all kinds of premises, Aperio cylinders, escutcheons and complete locks can be installed on both exterior and interior doors, from certified fire doors to meeting rooms, labs and offices; wooden, glass or aluminium doors are all suitable. Aperio locks are compatible with all common lock profiles: Euro, French, Finnish, Scandinavian and Swiss. Integration with your existing system can be Online or Offline. Aperio wireless technology gives you this flexibility.
When do users see the benefits of wireless locks?
To meet their security challenges, managers at Centre Hospitalier Métropole Savoie (CHMS) selected Aperio wireless locks integrated online with an ARD system. This enabled the hospital to introduce more secure doors and layers of security without incurring excessive installation or operating costs, including for sensitive offices and drug stores.
Now staff no longer carry key bunches or waste time hunting down relevant keys. Each of their individual permissions is stored on a single, programmable RFID credential. “Having just a single badge — and not having to carry around heavy keys — has been a major advantage for us,” says Béatrice Dequidt, Health Executive at CHMS.
“We have implemented internal HR management procedures, creating badges that are automatically integrated into ARD’s operating software,” adds Alain Gestin, CHMS’s IT Systems Architect. Aperio and ARD maintain compatibility of credentials with the French government’s electronic Health Professional Card (CPS), for added staff convenience.
To learn more about Aperio wireless locks, and download a free solution guide, click here.
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