Almost everyone attending university for the first time is now a digital native. They expect the convenience – and trust the security – that digital solutions provide. Among other things, they prioritize the mobile experience across almost every platform*. Access should be no different.
Of course, access management at student premises has long faced a distinct set of circumstances. University accommodation blocks are often large – and have expanded in recent years as student numbers increase**. Daily traffic at these purpose-built accommodation blocks is usually high, with hundreds or even thousands of people moving between bedrooms or apartments and communal areas like canteens, libraries and the laundry.
The client group also presents security challenges: a typical student will not always stick to protocols. Lost mechanical keys are a common occurrence and then take time and expense to replace. In addition, residents are in constant flux. Students arrive and depart all the time. With mechanical security, a room is not fully secure for its next occupant until the keys have been handed in. How can managers know for sure if one has been copied?
Every university has a statutory duty of care, the most important element being students’ physical safety. Digitalizing access for new and existing student accommodation helps them provide it, while increasing time- and cost-efficiency in university management. By digitalizing access, instead of using mechanical keys, estates managers control who comes and goes more efficiently and effectively, boosting security and convenience for everyone.
Digitalize access to boost security and generate additional revenue
A digital access solution helps campus managers feel confident about security – and reassures both students and their parents. When doors and other openings are locked with digital devices, opened with digital credentials or a mobile phone, no one needs to worry about unauthorized key copies in circulation. If someone loses their keycard or phone, a couple of clicks in the software restores security. It is fast and hassle-free.
Digital management also helps universities get more from their investment in premises. For example, it simplifies renting the accommodation as hotel-like units outside of term-time, generating an extra source of income. Existing student credentials may be blocked or suspended and new ones issued to arriving conference delegates or tourists, including on their mobile phone.
When a temporary guest’s reservation ends, their digital access rights automatically expire – no more key handovers, no more reception desk. A simple integration between digital access and booking software puts this revenue stream within reach. Including mobile capability with the digital solution makes the processes even quicker and simpler.
The SMARTair® system, a wireless and mobile solution from the digital access experts at ASSA ABLOY, helps universities to do all this and more – to digitalize with confidence and make their access ready for what’s ahead.
SMARTair: mobile digital access with added safety features
ASSA ABLOY’s SMARTair out-of-the-box digital access solution has a range of battery-powered locks to secure almost any opening — bedrooms, entrances, lockers, gates, parking barriers and more — all managed together by simple web-based software, including in real time and/or remotely if required. Staff and students appreciate the convenience of secure keyless access including via mobile with the intuitive Openow® smartphone app.
A SMARTair digital access solution keeps buildings secure. Everyone experiences the convenience of access without keys. Accommodation managers save time and money with SMARTair’s reliable operation and, as Madrid’s Funway Academic Resort manager Mario Arias notes, “it offers very easy maintenance.”
SMARTair digital access brings operating efficiencies that are near-impossible with mechanical security. As well as eliminating lost-key worries, the SMARTair system logs every door interaction, simplifying incident investigation. Authorized staff consult the software interface for an overview of building access anytime. It’s possible to integrate SMARTair with payment systems in the laundry or cafeteria, so students only carry one mobile or digital ID.
This solution also meets several important safety standards, fixing compliance worries for facilities teams. A Remote Lockdown function helps staff respond quickly by remotely locking some or all doors in an emergency. Alternatively, every SMARTair device can be instantly set to Emergency Open, which unlocks them all. This could provide fire services with instant access to an entire building, for example. Sensors permit facilities staff to remotely check block fire doors are all properly closed. For fast, safe evacuation, easy panic bar integration creates a compliant, access-controlled emergency exit. Fire- and smoke-certified doorsets equipped with the SMARTair i-max Escutcheon are available.
Scalability, easy upgrading, immediate convenience
With SMARTair, switching to mobile or digital access is easy. Doors require minimal alterations when SMARTair devices are fitted, because there’s no wiring needed around the door. Devices are powered by standard batteries and so consume less power than standard access solutions based on wired magnetic locks, saving costs and reducing carbon emissions. It is straightforward to scale the solution anytime, by adding more doors or new functionality, such as mobile keys – the technology is already inside the devices.
Digitalization instantly boosts daily convenience, with no more keys to manage or track. Every authorized user may be issued with a card, bracelet, fob or mobile key stored on their own smartphone, loaded with only the permissions they need. Contractors such as cleaners as may be admitted at same time on specific days of the week, for example. They do not have the unlimited access that comes with a copied mechanical key.
Everything is managed from simple SMARTair TS1000 software or the Web Manager. It’s equally easy to control more than one site from a single interface — for example, if an estates manager runs multiple premises together. “SMARTair does not require any technical knowledge. I trained quickly and found the software very easy,” says Cyril Verger, Managing Director at Easy Student Rennes, where SMARTair digital access secures residents and simplifies the management of purpose-built student accommodation.
Reliable locking devices for long-term cost-efficiency
The SMARTair range has multiple robust, reliable devices built to withstand long-term use by students, site staff and contractors. These are already proven at universities Europe-wide. SMARTair can secure almost any opening – from escutcheons for student bedrooms and cylinders for offices, to padlocks on gates and fences, even outdoors.
It integrates all access around the premises into one efficient digital system with a single control panel. Once authorized with specific permissions, a student can open changing-room lockers, secured with a SMARTair e-motion Cabinet Lock, and an outdoor gate secured with the i-gate Electronic Padlock, with the same mobile device. The SMARTair i-reader secures and filters access at any electrically operated opening, including high-traffic exterior doors, alarmed doors, or an automated parking barrier.
“Having a SMARTair system in place has given us peace of mind,” says Joanna Brunton, Executive Officer at Westbridge Residential School in New Zealand. “It’s quicker, it’s safer and it’s simple.”
To learn more about the benefits of SMARTair digital access, download a free Solution Guide for Student Accommodation at https://www.assaabloy.com/group/emeia/campaigns/digital-access-for-student-accommodations
