Access everywhere: how wireless locks help everyone in 3 key European industries

Wireless locks help you extend control around your building or site at reasonable cost

London, June 2020 – 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, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio

Putting intelligent keys to work in our public services

CLIQ electronic and mechatronic locks already protect museums, public housing and public buildings all over Europe

London, June 2020 – Resilience and efficiency have become watchwords for our public institutions, before, during and after the ongoing health crisis. In delivering services fit for the modern world, these institutions need more than just innovation and accountability. They require flexibility and agility, too, including in how they approach security.

The lock and key have enjoyed public trust for a long time. Keys were used in Ancient Egypt and Assyria, and warrant a mention in the Christian Old Testament. As a technology the key is familiar and proven, user-friendly and dependable. It can also be inflexible and time-consuming to manage.

The security challenges of delivering public services do not stand still, but standard mechanical keys cannot move with you. Filtering access intelligently and dynamically has become part of security’s job description.

Yet there is no need to dispose of the key altogether. We can adapt it, rather than throw it out.Intelligent, programmable keys combine the powerful features of electronic access control with the convenience of a mechanical key. They are keys, familiar and user-friendly… but evolved.

When your key has a brain, you can do more with less. These efficiencies are critical in a world where demands on our public institutions are at levels not seen in generations.

Cut workload and solve the problem of lost keys

Lost keys present mechanical security with its most intractable problem. When a key goes missing, time and budget are expended to remedy the situation. Extensive rekeying and reissuing to relevant keyholders are complex and expensive. Programmable keys, however, solve the problem quickly.

The French town of Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, faced these familiar key management challenges. Each person in their Municipal Technical Centre carried approximately 40 physical keys. If one was lost or stolen, all compromised cylinders had to be changed. To prevent unauthorized access, all the keys had to be replaced, too – at great expense. Key duplication costs were mounting.

“One [lost] key cost from €3,000 to €4,000 for changing cylinders and replacing the keys,” explains Fabrice Girard, Territorial Technician at the town’s Municipal Technical Centre.

To fix this expensive lost key problem, Villiers-le-Bel city administrators chose to combine trusted mechanical security with new electromechanical key-operated locking, all managed within the same flexible, wireless access control system. Now lost or stolen electronic keys are cancelled instantly using secure cloud software which works inside a standard browser, no software installation required. Administrators can program access rights for any key, padlock or cylinder. They filter access to specific sites and doors according to the precise requirements of every municipal employee.

Keep residents safe in their own homes

In Aalborg, Denmark, around 3,000 citizens in home care now have programmable locking cylinders installed at their front door. This replaces a cumbersome mechanical master-key system. Aalborg’s installation was tailored to meet the needs of this vulnerable group of city residents. If a home care resident loses their key, its access rights can be deleted from the system without the need for a lock replacement – keeping the keyholder’s home safe and saving the city time and money on rekeying.

Managing Aalborg’s system is straightforward. Lock installation was quick and easy: certified technicians simply replaced each old cylinder with a programmable cylinder – with no wiring and no major alterations to the door. Aalborg’s fire brigade quickly took over the maintenance process. Brigade staff now grant or revoke access, and tailor permissions for different users or locations according to defined needs.

In Skellefteå, Sweden, electromechanical locking has given local firefighters faster, safer access to any building. To speed up emergency response times and improve firefighter safety, the local service fitted houses with secure façade key cabinets. Property keys are stored inside the cabinets, so authorized firefighters get rapid building access if there is a fire.

When the emergency call comes, firefighters update their individual, programmable key at the station or while on the move, using a remote key updater kept in the fire engine. There’s no longer any need for fire stations to hold multiple sets of keys or for off-site firefighters to divert to the station to collect the right key.

More rapid response means a better chance to prevent a fire spreading. Safety is improved for everyone, Skellefteå residents at home and firefighters at work.

Clear workflow bottlenecks in public housing

With crime against empty properties on the rise, public authorities in the English city of Rotherham aimed to minimise the time a council house stands vacant. However, workers from multiple departments require access to prepare a property for a new tenant. Passing keys securely between all relevant staff members was a major cause of delay.

At Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), intelligent key technology helped streamline these workflows, upgrading security and saving money at the same time. RMBC identified physical key handover as a major bottleneck in their workflow. They needed a solution to speed up the process.

Now, each relevant RMBC staff member is issued with their own programmable key. Using simple online software, security managers issue the precise permissions which every staff member needs. The access rights of any key can be amended or revoked at any time.

Physical handover of mechanical keys – and the time and money spent coordinating this process – has been eliminated.

Preserve the fabric of historic buildings – and the design integrity of new spaces

Building type can make a big difference to the access control you choose. Public spaces inside protected heritage buildings often cannot opt for card- and reader-based access control. Here, wireless electronic cylinders which simply replace existing mechanical locks solve the problem, preserving doors which may be centuries old.

The issue of aesthetics also affects modern public spaces, albeit differently. In Stuttgart, innovative design was a key element of the city’s new library building. Door security should be discreet and not disrupt the vision of Korean architect, Eun Young Yi. This was the first public building in Stuttgart’s Europaviertel, a unique creation with a double façade with glass bricks, a brightly lit atrium four storeys high, and public entrances on all four sides.

Almost as soon as it opened, the building was declared an architectural icon — “instantly one of the world’s most beautiful libraries.”* Intelligent key security is hardly noticeable for the library’s many visitors, yet critical for protecting Stuttgart’s precious public heritage

Save time and money managing keys for a mobile workforce

Many public services involve managing and directing a mobile or contractor workforce. Mileage expense mounts up when workers must return to base to collect keys or update their access rights. Mobile workers use more fuel and increase a carbon footprint. You make a business more sustainable quickly if you reduce the mileage they travel.

Reducing miles while maintaining security is not easy, if you rely on mechanical keys to secure remote or dispersed sites. Bluetooth-enabled intelligent keys eliminate the need for workers to return to headquarters to collect or return a mechanical key**.

With a Bluetooth-powered solution, everyone carries their own programmable key and keeps its access rights up to date on the move, simply by making an encrypted connection to a secure smartphone app — meaning fewer miles driven and less money wasted on unnecessary fuel.

One technology powers all these solutions

All the installations referenced above — and many, many more across the full spectrum of public services — run on the same technology: CLIQ® from ASSA ABLOY.

CLIQ combines electronic and mechanical security in a range of wireless cylinder applications, including a full range of mechatronic and electronic cylinders and padlocks. CLIQ locks are installed without wires: every cylinder’s power is supplied by a battery inside the CLIQ key. These keys are physically identical and programmable by a system administrator using a desktop updater; by keyholders with a portable programmer; or in the case of CLIQ Connect Bluetooth-enabled keys, via an encrypted connection to a secure smartphone app, minimizing both wasted journeys and unnecessary social contact between workers and office staff. Intuitive software makes it simple to manage access rights, enable and disable keys and customize access schedules, on site or on the go.

To learn how you can put CLIQ intelligent key technology to work in agile, flexible, secure public services, download a free introductory guide at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/eCLIQ

Videx launches new touch free entry range to help businesses return to normal

For more than 35 years, Videx have manufactured door entry and access control solutions and have now launched their latest range of touch free entry panels and exit buttons as businesses return to work during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The range offers both exit buttons and entrance panels in a touch free format using infrared sensor technology, providing a no touch solution for companies as they focus on creating a COVID secure environment for their employees, partners and customers.

Neil Thomas, national sales manager at Videx, said: “As businesses return to normal, health and safety is the key priority. With our touch free entry panels, it means visitors can alert someone of their arrival without needing to press a button. The panels can also include proximity access control, allowing authorised personnel to enter the building touch free. Both surface and flush exit buttons are also available to allow users to exit without the need to press buttons.”

The panels and buttons are compatible with a number of Videx systems including our IP system, two wire video kits and leading GSM kit. The panels and exit buttons, which are for internal use unless appropriately protected externally, boast several key features including adjustable activation range (3cm-15cm) and activation time (from 0.5 seconds to 20 seconds). All panels are IP55 rated and require a power input of 12Vdc. They can operate in a temperature change from -20 degrees to 75 degrees. 

Neil added: “The new touch free range can offer better protection against COVID-19 transmission and other viruses too that can spread from touching common use surfaces and devices. We can also provide fully customised options, offering bespoke entry panels and exit buttons that are in keeping with the surroundings of the building.”

For more information about the new touch free entry range, please visit: www.videxuk.com

Sales Leadership Appointment at PAC & GDX

8th June 2020 …. PAC & GDX has announced the appointment of Bill Hobbs as the global head of its sales organisation.  As Global Vice President of Sales for 3xLOGIC and PACOM, Bill adds PAC & GDX to his portfolio and will now consolidate sales leadership for these brands across all countries. 

Bill’s career spans more than 35 years in the Systems Integration and Physical Security industries. Initially a software developer and systems engineer, Bill has built multiple systems integration businesses over his career and, for the past 20 years, he has led technical sales teams across a variety of industry-leading organisations.

 “As we continue to evolve our businesses, the number one goal remains to provide the best solutions and customer experience across all our brands. I am very pleased to be able to add the strength of the PAC & GDX sales teams to my global sales organisation.  This consolidation will expand our capability to provide a fully layered approach to securing our customers’ estates and optimising their businesses”, said Bill. 

Jason Sullivan takes up the position as National Sales Manager for PAC & GDX for the UK and Ireland and will report directly to Bill. 

Jason comments: “Over the next few months we will continue to introduce the 3xLOGIC product line into the UKI and EMEA regions and the addition of the PAC & GDX sales team under Bill’s organisation will further our efforts to accelerate this product introduction”.

3xLOGIC, PAC, GDX and PACOM are four trusted brands that have a combined experience of over 100 years in the security industry and can offer solutions ranging from door entry, integrated access control, intruder detection, video, and business intelligence.

For further information please E: customerservices@pacgdx.com  or  visit www.pacgdx.com

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA launches Incedo™ Business, the flexible and platform-based access management solution built to grow with you

London, June 2020 — The world is constantly changing, with people, data and goods moving more fluidly than ever before. Your security solution needs to move with it. New Incedo Business connects all your security software and hardware within one platform. You can easily scale it up or down, based on your needs, to keep your people moving and your business growing. Together.

People need different access times and entry points, and your access and security requirements change day to day – so, a static solution is no longer an option. Instead, a single, all-encompassing security platform should deliver connectivity, convenience and simplicity, keeping your premises secure and filtering access to manage the ever-changing movement of people.

This is where Incedo Business comes in: a new solution for all types of premises, handling security while leaving you free to focus on growing your business. Incedo ensures your employees, customers and goods are where they need to be.

Incedo makes life and tasks easier and more efficient for everyone, from installers to end users. Facility managers enjoy more control and flexibility than they ever thought possible — maximizing return on investment, with Incedo Business able to scale quickly when needed. System administrators can do more within available budgets: initiating, cancelling or amending access profiles, and monitoring movement around their site in real time.

Building users, meanwhile, get the individual access times and entry permissions they need. They can move freely without compromising the security of other people and equipment. Integrators can upgrade connected technologies and systems quickly, minimizing risk and meeting customers’ raised expectations of modern technology. Installers no longer need to wrestle with incompatible systems: easy interoperability is built into Incedo, meaning no more delays or unnecessary complexity.

With Incedo’s modular platform approach, you simply choose the security hardware and credentials you need and the appropriate management system option. You set exactly who can access which doors — and when — from the user-friendly Incedo Business software interface.

When Incedo Business launches, you can pick the most suitable options from a growing range of Incedo-enabled security and access control hardware. Road-tested, award-winning ASSA ABLOY wireless digital locks and wired ASSA ABLOY wall readers secure all your interior and exterior doors.  

Also already available, a choice of card and token credentials helps users enjoy safe and convenient access to, and movement around, your premises. Incedo mobile keys add the flexibility to open doors with a smartphone.

Incedo’s system management options — Lite, Plus and Cloud — scale from entry level up to cloud-based administration. You can manage multiple sites and third-party integrations, including security solutions like CCTV. Scale up and down, add or remove hardware and credentials on demand — or switch system management options — all within a single environment. Migration between Lite, Plus and Cloud options is always seamless in any direction, ensuring total flexibility for your business.

Incedo moves with you, today and in the future

However your business moves, an Incedo system moves with you. Having a flexible platform, able to adapt as your organization changes, reduces total cost of ownership: you never need to retrain staff or start over from scratch.

New Incedo-enabled hardware from ASSA ABLOY and third-party providers will continue to be connected to, and made available within, your evolving Incedo platform. You pick the hardware and software configuration you want, and can change your mind as often as you like. Incedo guarantees flexibility and scalability in every way, to meet your security needs today and in the future.

And because the security and operational challenges at a university, small hotel or hospital are not the same as those faced by a public building or corporate HQ, the Incedo ecosystem will introduce new, advanced user interfaces for your specific industry.

“Incedo Business transforms the experience of using and managing a building. It is also the seed from which our revolutionary Incedo ecosystem will grow in the months and years ahead,” says Stephanie Ordan, VP Digital and Access Solutions at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA.

“A future where doors are smarter, connectivity and movement are seamless, and access management is genuinely intelligent. This is our vision for Incedo and for those who will be using it.”

Incedo™ Business embodies ASSA ABLOY’s vision to create a safer and more open world, keeping everyone on the move. Together. To learn more and download a free solution guide, visit campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/Incedo-business

Data is critical to your business, so physical security for servers is more important than ever

London, May 2020 – Businesses, large and small, create data which needs protecting, whether in an onsite server room or co-located at a data centre. When you imagine a corporate data breach, you’re probably picturing black-hat hackers pursued by cybercrime investigators. The reality is often more mundane. Only around a half of breaches involve hacking, according to one recent report*. Gaps in the physical security your data and servers are equally important targets.

Perhaps your company director leaves her laptop on the train. Or an unauthorized visitor spots open server racks and quickly downloads records onto his smartphone. Or maybe your server room access control is left entirely to lock-and-key technology which you cannot easily track.

Securing sensitive data needs the involvement of every member in an organization, from top to bottom. But physically protecting servers and data stores is the heart of the security and IT manager’s role.

How much could a data breach cost you?

In the absence of appropriate physical server security, the mundane can be dangerous — and expensive. Recent research for IBM by the Ponemon Institute estimates the average total cost of a data breach at $3.86 million (€3.57 million)**. According to the same benchmark report, this average is rising, by 6.4% in the last year alone. Some of the highest breach costs are borne by companies in Europe, including Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

Such costs can be direct: in business disruption, lost mailing lists or disabled logistics software. They can be indirect: an erosion of customer trust and damaged “brand equity”. Hard-earned goodwill and positive reputations are quickly reversed.

Costs also come from fines levied by government and supranational regulators. As Big Data gets bigger, so does the regulatory landscape for data handling.

The most relevant framework for those operating in the EMEA region is the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This wide-ranging data privacy rulebook has been enforced since May 2018. GDPR requires you to protect storage of all personal information, including customer and employee data. Your safeguards must include both electronic and physical barriers to unauthorised access. Server protection is critical.

3 levels of physical security for your servers

Do you know who last accessed your servers — and when? If the answer to either question is “no”, you are taking unnecessary risks with data security. Yet ensuring you stay on the regulators’ right side, and avoid a costly breach, could be straightforward: better access control.

To ensure maximum security of your servers, in its recent white paper ASSA ABLOY recommends three levels of security working together within an integrated access system. At the top level, perimeter security ensures only authorised personnel enter a data storage building. Here, door and gate electronic locks with credential readers can work alongside the likes of CCTV and monitored fencing. It’s your first line of physical breach defence.

Level 2 — server room access — can be monitored and controlled with a range of access control door devices with inbuilt credential readers, including Aperio battery-powered escutcheons or complete security locks. Either device integrates seamlessly with access and security management systems from over 100 different manufacturers. At room level, physical security must also include water- and dustproofing, electromagnetic security and protection against other physical threats to servers and data***.

The third, final level of physical data security is your server rack or cabinet. Server rooms have a steady flow of authorised traffic: cleaners, maintenance staff, repair technicians and others. Employee screening cannot be perfect — and accidents happen. Rack or cabinet locking with RFID readers is the last line of defence against a malicious or accidental physical data breach.

Responsive, real-time rack protection

ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio KS100 Server Cabinet Lock adds real-time access control and monitoring to server racks and cabinets. The lock works with an existing or new access control system; compatible credentials employ all standard RFID protocols including iCLASS®, MIFARE® and DESFire. Under the EU’s GDPR, you must inform anyone affected by a breach “without undue delay”. With the Aperio KS100, you would know right away if unauthorised access had even been attempted.

Once installed, KS100 locks integrate with your access control system and communicate wirelessly via an Aperio Communications Hub, even if your racks are co-located in a distant data centre. Once online integration with your security admin system is complete, lock access decisions are communicated from and recorded by your software wirelessly.

“When Aperio replaces mechanical locking at all three levels of server access control, lost keys no longer compromise data security. Lost credentials are simply deauthorised and a valid replacement reissued. The current status of any lock, at any level, is revealed with the click of a mouse. Generating detailed audit trails is straightforward, making the KS100 and other Aperio wireless locks invaluable for incident investigation”, explains Johan Olsén, Aperio Product Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA.

The right electronic locking keeps your customer reputation intact, your data off the Dark Web, and you on the right side of the multiple data protection regulations, including GDPR.

Could you protect your valuable data better with improved access control? Download ASSA ABLOY’s free 12-page briefing paper on data centre security at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-data-centers

*: https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/

**: Ponemon Institute/IBM, “2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview”

***: https://www.git-security.com/file/track/22687/1

COVID-19: increased demand for IP based access control systems

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all industries in different ways. For healthcare and medical organisations, operational management approaches have changed right across the sector and not just on the clinical front.

Videx, a leading manufacturer and supplier of access control and door entry systems, has seen a sharp rise in demand for IP based intercom systems. The contagiousness of the coronavirus coupled with the high volume of patients admitted to hospital with the disease has increased the need to secure specific wards and departments. At the same time, GP practices, pharmacies and other healthcare organisations have also had to look at their entry provision to minimise the risk of the virus spreading.

Neil Thomas, National Sales Manager at Videx UK, said: “IP based intercoms are hugely popular access control solutions generally due to the flexibility and ease of installation IP provides. The Videx IP kit for example comes as an expandable system with multiple entrance and call points that can be customised to suit the needs of any building whether that’s an A and E department, an outpatient unit or medical centre that’s home to several GP practices.

“The huge benefit of IP technology is that it doesn’t require dedicated wiring infrastructure and can be used on existing networks. These networks can be shared with other technologies such as CCTV, building management and many others.

“We’ve seen a rise in enquiries and orders placed for our IP intercoms because of the urgent need to secure sensitive and specific areas in buildings such as hospitals, pharmacies and GP surgeries. For instance, in hospitals where there are dedicated COVID-19 wards access to such wards require maximum security but, at the same time, authorised entry convenience and ease and this is exactly what our IP system provides.”

There is also a heightened need for controlling access to the general public. As a result, demand in the Videx IP range has grown, especially for one-way, single button entry units where a member of staff can grant access from their desk via videophone. 

The Videx IP kit includes a wall mount 6200 series videophone and the entrance panel which is available in standard or vandal resistant form with surface or flush mounting options. The videophone includes a touch screen 3.5” colour display enabling the end user to customise a range of settings as well as initiate calls to entrance points, neighbouring buildings and internally to other extensions with the facility to have up to 16 videophones in each building.

The videophones can also intercommunicate and cascade calls to other locations if they are not answered. What’s more, an event call log can be viewed on the videophone with a video capture feature to see missed callers.

To find out more about the Videx IP range and key benefits, please visit: https://bit.ly/2yvNX8X

Now you can manage one or more CLIQ® systems with a simple, local software installation

London, April 2020 – A standard Windows PC is all you need to run an access control system with CLIQ® technology. Engineered for flexibility and easy operation, CLIQ Local Manager software has everything you need to run programmable key access control for your business.

CLIQ Local Manager puts you in complete control of your premises from a PC screen. From its user-friendly interface you can add or amend users and change the access rights of CLIQ keys with the companion programming device. You can limit access according to 32 programmable time slots that you define. You collect key audit trails when you need them, without leaving your desk.

CLIQ Local Manager is adapted to small or medium-sized businesses and works with electromechanical CLIQ systems as well as eCLIQ, the fully electronic key access system based on the same technology. Your software handles up to 5,000 keys and 5,000 cylinders or padlocks.

You can even define and administer any remaining mechanical locks in your building from your CLIQ Local Manager interface.

Time-saving benefits for security managers

CLIQ Local Manager gets you up-and-running fast, with automated COM port selection and easy migration from your existing CLIQ access control software. Day-to-day operation is just as easy.

Every system administrator has a personalised CLIQ Local Manager home screen with intuitive menu access and powerful search capability. Everyday access routines are PIN-protected for extra security.

Within the Local Manager control panel, you can set reminders so you never miss an important admin task again. CLIQ Local Manager looks after users and their data privacy — and is GDPR compliant.

You don’t need complex IT infrastructure to run your access system. At small or medium-sized business premises, CLIQ Local Manager keeps you informed and in control.

To learn more about CLIQ® visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/ecliq

Are the contents of your office confidential, valuable or private? You can protect them cost-effectively with a Code Handle® lock

London, April 2020 — Not everyone should have free access to the most sensitive offices in your workplace. You should be able to grab a coffee without worrying who can get hold of the laptop or handbag you left inside. Suited to office doors of any kind, the Code Handle® digital PIN lock was designed to keep your stuff safe and private.

Code Handle is a locking handle with a built-in digital PIN keypad. It gives you peace of mind for your office security without the expense and hassle of installing an access control system, or any need to keep track of keys.

Code Handle looks good, too: ASSA ABLOY’s award-winning expertise in handle design has created a locking device that is slim, sleek and attractive. Its brushed steel and chrome exterior looks just like any stylish door handle — and complements the interior of almost any office building.

Installing your new Code Handle is easy, with no wires, no specialist tools, and no drilling. Two screws attach your Code Handle to almost any interior door up to 80mm thick. You can even keep your existing door cylinder. If you have an access control or alarm system protecting the main entrance, a Code Handle works alongside it without software to integrate or cabling to run.

Two standard batteries slot inside and typically last for 30,000 lock/unlock cycles. A visual indicator tells you when it is time to replace them. Code Handle is tested for at least 100,000 use cycles, as well as fire certified (EN 1363). It always allows simple, code-free exit from the inside.

It is just as simple to get your new Code Handle ready to use. On installation, you set a Master Code and can issue up to 9 different user PINs (4 to 6 digits) — ideal if an office junior or assistant needs regular access to your private office.

Users press their PIN code on the handle’s keypad and the door unlocks. Close the door when you leave your office and Code Handle locks automatically behind you. The belongings you left on your desk are safe. You can enjoy your morning coffee in peace.

To learn more about Code Handle, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/codehandle

Game-changing access control technology for Lockers and Cabinets with SALTO XS4 Locker BLE

The capability of effectively extending real-time, online and mobile enable smart electronic access control to lockers and cabinets has eluded the security market – until now. By incorporating BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)technology into their latest electronic locker lock, SALTO has delivered a product that extends up-to-date comprehensive electronic access control to lockers, cabinets, and essentially anywhere.

“With the world becoming more digital every day, the need to introduce the latest technology into the workplace, retail market, healthcare, and education sectors has never been greater,” said Aznar Sethna, CSMO SALTO Systems. “The new SALTO XS4 Locker Lock with BLE technology drives manageability, creates a flexible and safe storage service environment, and enables users to have what they need at the touch of a mobile app or smartphone, wherever they are.”

The ability to deliver real-time electronic access control wirelessly to peripheral devices like lockers or cabinets has been long desired in the security industry. There are a variety of needs for securing the contents of lockers. In the workplace, lockers can contain property or expensive equipment. In gyms, lockers in locker rooms hold clothing and personal effects. Lockers and cabinets in the medical field, for example, can contain drugs, and, in retail, cabinets or lockers can contain cash and other valuables.

SALTO has been a leader in electronic access control for lockers with the XS4 locker lock, but the new version adds game changing BLE functionality.

Adding BLE capabilities to SALTO’s XS4 Locker Lock solution not only offers the most up-to-date protection for lockers and cabinets, but it also delivers the capability for end-users to control these devices with mobile phones and expands usage to additional SALTO platforms – like use with SALTO KS -Keys as a Service- cloud-based access control technology.

SALTO BLUEnet Technology Drives the New Functionality

SALTO BLUEnet Wireless was developed to meet the highest demands related to security, connectivity and ease of use and has now been successfully extended to the SALTO XS4 Locker BLE. It is networked through Bluetooth RF and is specially designed for door lock applications where real-time control is required. Control and management of access points can be done remotely and in real-time. The SALTO BLUEnet Wireless engine allows the operator to monitor live access control events and provides the

ability to unlock the locker lock, change its opening mode, activate a lockdown, monitor live door status or change physical access rules in the access plan, all wirelessly and in real-time.

The advanced smart technology that SALTO has integrated into every SALTO XS4 Locker Lock BLE model also permits battery status management and audit trail recovery in real-time. With the same features as an online SALTO BLUEnet wireless door, users of the SALTO XS4 Locker BLE can:

– Monitor online the status of the locker

– Know if the locker was opened (means card presented)

– Bolt inside status (the deadbolt is retracted)

– Know if the door closed (means card presented)

– Bolt out status (the deadbolt is projected)

– Monitor online the battery status

– Disseminate the blacklist on lockers

– Update firmware through wireless infrastructure

– Open the locker remotely

– Perform an emergency opening

– Perform lockdowns

The SALTO XS4 Locker BLE is smart and easy to install

The SALTO XS4 Locker BLE is an ergonomic design based on the same housing and mechanical mechanisms of the original version. A locking thumb turn makes for easy use – even with wet hands. The outer thumb turn – with a red and green indicator indicating availability of the locker – has an electronically managed release. Ready-to-install into pre-existing doors it is designed as a replacement locker lock and can be used to quickly secure any pre-existing cabinet.  And at a time where contagious viruses and bacteria dominate the headlines, it’s impressive that the XS4 Locker BLE comes with BioCote® Antimicrobial Technology that can reduce bacteria by up to 99.99% as standard.

What are the benefits of a BLE-Enabled Locker Lock?

Electronic access control in general and the SALTO XS4 Locker BLE specifically, eliminate the problems of key management, a user losing a key, or leaving a locker lock in a locked state for a long period of time. The SALTO XS4 Locker BLE gives operators complete control and different specific and configurable opening modes for users that include:  Fixed assignment locker: A specific user ID carrier or user assigned mobile key operates a specific locker lock. Free-assignment locker: Any user ID carrier subsequently used to unlock a locker takes control. Family option: Multiple user ID carriers to operate a single locker.

Mobile access use makes it a Game-Changer

One of the primary benefits of a smart electronic access control solution is the ability to easily incorporate mobile access use. The SALTO XS4 Locker BLE is JustIN Mobile compatible which means that any usercan use a smartphone (IOS or Android) to operate the locker lock.

Adding JustIN mobile functionality to a locker lock, means adding more features that can be conducted over the phone network, like: updating credentials; blacklist transmission; automatic audit trail collection; and automatic battery status collection.

“SALTO’s proven smart technology products have long delivered unique access control solutions for any type of use case and application whether you’re in working space property management, healthcare, or education,” concludes Aznar Sethna, CSMO SALTO Systems. “The new SALTO XS4 Locker with embedded BLE technology makes this product an excellent solution for all of those projects that require a locking solution for a controlled, easy-to-operate, and fully-integrated mobile access technology system.”

How one French racecourse saved security costs by switching from mechanical keys to SMARTair® access control

London, March 2020 – Racecourse managers at the Hippodrome Côte d’Azur faced a familiar dilemma. How to stop duplicatable mechanical keys jeopardizing security for employees and visitors? And how to drastically reduce the time they were wasting in getting locks replaced when someone lost their key?

The racecourse’s 63-hectare site incorporates tracks used for many equestrian disciplines. Around 30 workers are employed full-time, but during meetings it welcomes up to 1,000 horses and 3,000 participants. Many stay in one of 130 onsite rooms. On race days, grandstands and spectator areas hold up to 11,300.

The racecourse chose a SMARTair® Update on Card access control solution for this complex site. They now control and secure access points more efficiently and effectively than with their old key system. Projected long-term cost savings and significant key management workload reduction convinced Hippodrome managers to choose this wireless solution.

With SMARTair® Update on Card, security staff encode user credentials directly for convenient access management. From among SMARTair®’s long menu of compatible RFID technologies, Hippodrome managers chose iCLASS®. They can delete users or lost cards instantly and collect audit trails when needed. Easy, flexible credential management enables them to program fine-grained, individual access to around 200 doors in six separate structures.

“In the long term, SMARTair® access control is cheaper than keys to manage,” confirms Bernard Arnaud, Supervisor for Accommodations at Hippodrome Côte d’Azur.

Multiple devices, mobile credentials

Tough, durable, battery-powered locking devices are deployed cost-efficiently at different types of opening around the Hippodrome site. During 2018, around 100 rooms and technical areas were equipped with SMARTair® readers, wireless escutcheons and wireless cylinders. Access to the accommodation building is controlled with a SMARTair® wall reader. In the past, people who had lost their key had forced their way in by kicking the entrance. Now, a SMARTair® device secures it.

The access control upgrade continues through 2019 and 2020, in racecourse offices and grandstands. Managers also plan to trial the SMARTair® Openowä app. With Openowä, administrators can send virtual “keys” directly to a visitor’s smartphone — convenient for racecourse guests arriving late at night.

To learn how easily SMARTair® wireless access control could secure your premises, download a free solution guide at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/smartair

PAC launches complete new Access Control portfolio

2nd March 2020 …. PAC, a market-leading supplier of innovative access control solutions, has announced the comprehensive redesign of its portfolio in order to meet the rigorous demands of today’s residential, educational and commercial environments. This pioneering access control system streamlines PAC’s offering with products that combine the benefits of state-of-the-art hardware and software – delivering unrivalled levels of security, sustainability and ease of use.

Key components of the new PAC portfolio are the PAC 512DC networkable access controllers, which replace the highly successful PAC 500 range. Future proof and certified to the latest industry standards, PAC 512 comprises two variants – the 512DC analogue and 512DCi digital access controllers. Scalable from 1-2000 doors these controllers are able to support up to 75,000 unique identification devices via Access Central – PAC’s enhanced management software.  They feature two inputs and two outputs, as well as providing functionality including local anti-passback, event to action, mustering, lift call and alarm point control. By removing the need for ancillary equipment PAC 512 offers a cost competitive solution that is easy to configure, install, maintain and use.

PAC is committed to developing products that enable end users to enhance their own sustainability based agendas and this is clearly demonstrated by its new PS50 Energy Efficient Power Supply. With 80 per cent efficiency at most loads, it uses far less power than PAC’s previously available power supply unit, at the same price point. The PS50 Energy Efficient Power Supply’s credentials have also been externally verified via certification to California Energy Commission (CEC) Level 6. This means that the highly energy efficiency facilitates operational savings.

PAC’s Access Central management software replaces the company’s SecureNet solution. It can be adapted to suit every access control installation, whether a single site business or a global organisation. Backwards compatible with SecureNet and available via digital download in SE and professional licence editions. The SE licence level delivers a level of functionality unrivalled in the market for a free distribution. Access Central can be easily configured to operate on a standalone PC or across a corporate network. It displays detailed, real time events information including alarms as they occur across a facility, while also providing ease of management of any installed 512DC and 512DCi devices. Other features include Active Directory integration, which vastly reduces set-up and in-life management of keyholders when connected to an Active Directory feed.

The PAC portfolio will be supported by a customer training programme, a dedicated customer services and technical support facility, as well as a new five-year warranty for all hardware. Pete England, PAC’s global product manager, concluded, ‘For over 40 years PAC has pioneered developments in access control across the world and is renowned and respected for producing robust, reliable, cost effective and highly secure solutions. This legacy continues with this new portfolio which offers unrivalled value, is feature rich, scalable, energy efficient and reduces the hardware required for an integrated security system. During our beta testing we had a unanimously positive response and I’m convinced that we have an industry game-changer in terms of next generation access control.’

For further information please E: customerservices@pacgdx.com  or  visit https://pacgdx.com/products/pac-access-control

Campus renovation includes an upgrade to real-time access control

London, February 2020 – Around 7,000 people pass through the Luminy faculty’s suburban campus every day. As part of a major project to modernize two buildings, university managers sought a retrofit-ready access control solution to upgrade security.

University administrators selected Aperio® locks to secure doors in the new buildings. With Aperio, facilities staff deal with lost keys more efficiently. The laborious process of changing locks and reissuing keys — part of the daily workload with mechanical locking — vanishes.

The Luminy campus is now equipped with 372 Aperio Electronic Cylinders & 42 Aperio Electronic Handles with built-in RFID readers. Locks are integrated seamlessly, wirelessly and online with Luminy’s ARD access control system. One key goal was to deter theft, which was becoming a problem in teaching areas — especially those with computers.

“Since we installed Aperio, we have not had a break-in,” says Cédric Lopez, Maintenance Manager at Luminy.

An easy extension for room management and scheduling

In addition to theft deterrence, Aperio met broad, stringent criteria for the security upgrade. Staff and students carry individual access smart-cards. Doors and credentials are easily programmed and reprogrammed to accommodate everyone’s changing access needs.

Luminy’s security team has complete control over access permissions and campus traffic — in real time. Because their new Aperio devices are integrated online, staff see a “live” overview of the campus and respond proactively to incidents. Aperio is trusted to protect the most sensitive areas of the campus. “We have critical premises, including for the storage of chemicals, some with radioactive properties,” adds Lopez.

Aperio locks are built on an open platform, so they are flexible enough to integrate with the university’s room scheduling system. “Teachers are able to reserve their rooms. Students no longer have to wait for the teacher’s arrival, because they have access to the right rooms in defined time slots,” says Cédric Lopez. The credential students already carry automatically opens classroom doors, if they have pre-authorised access rights. For the facilities team, the ARD interface displays scheduling for all relevant rooms in real time.

Luminy site managers have already scheduled further real-time access control upgrades built around award-winning Aperio wireless technology. As Luminy staff discovered, the benefits of Aperio extend beyond just enhanced campus safety and student security.

The Aperio for Universities Solution Guide explains how you can upgrade and streamline security at your campus. Download it free at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-university

7 problems your access control software could fix right now

London, February 2020 – So often, our focus in security and access control zeroes in on the hardware. Its latest functionality or compatibility with emerging technologies grabs the headlines. Yet it is your access control software which knits a system together – and the signs are, this is finally getting the attention it deserves in security procurement.

“Today, access control software is more accessible to a wider variety of actors,” writes Bryan Montany, a research analyst at IHS Technology*, “providing end-users with broader and more comprehensive data relating to patterns in building occupancy.”

“Software has also supported integrations with other security systems, enabling security managers to respond in real time to emerging incidents and potential security breaches.”

In other words, you can escape the limiting functionality of outmoded access management with a new generation of software solutions. They can fix everyday access irritants. Below are just seven.

Freedom from the access management terminal

Multi-seat management should be a given. Your intuitive, customised dashboard could have a personalised login screen configuration for every administrator. Software should offer flexible management options, including secure system administration from anywhere and multi-timezone capability options.

An access management “terminal” should be tied to you – not the other way around.

Maximum flexibility, whatever your legacy system

Access control software puts in the hard yards when it bends your existing system or setup to new needs. It can integrate across several databases, making workflows easier and less error prone.

You may even wish to manage any existing mechanical locks from the same interface as your electronic or electromechanical locks. The right access control software handles that for you.

Tailored access for every site user and visitor

Streamlining access rights management for staff, contractors and visitors can boost business efficiency. Your access control software should filter access to specific locks according to the precise security needs of your site and users.

For any system, you should be able to create individual schedules for key-holders, doors or audit trails. In a few clicks you can require users to revalidate keys regularly, making it safer to issue a contractor with time-limited access.

Smarter, more effective building management

Smart buildings need intelligent software. Do you know who uses which doors at your site, and when? Are you are planning an office expansion and weighing up appropriate security for each type of room use?

A properly configured software control panel should accurately track user movement around your site. It feeds back the data you need to make better business decisions.

Saving security budgets with a Software as a Service (SaaS) option

Ideally, you want to spend your security budget on actually securing people and assets. Alas, in the real world, IT costs and contingency budgeting eat up much of it.

When you run access management software with a reliable SaaS provider, security infrastructure budgeting becomes more predictable. Your data enjoys complete redundancy and is therefore more secure. And your company’s software is always, automatically up to date – critical for cyber-security resilience.

Mobile solutions for the modern mobile workforce

Are your mobile workers and contractors returning to base – or the nearest credential updater – to redefine or revalidate their access rights? Access control software can (and should) be mobile. So, instead of updaters, workers update credentials on the go, wherever they are, via an app and its encrypted Bluetooth connection.

All your business process software in one place

Multiple systems create double or triple the work. Duplicating data entry increases the chance of errors. With access control powered by the CLIQ Web Manager, for example, you can integrate powerful access management features with your existing business process software. One hub for everything.

Thanks to the CLIQ Web Manager’s open architecture, you can build a single interface to control all your “live” workflows. You manage HR, support ticketing, financial reporting and more, alongside daily access control tasks like validating and revalidating credentials, cancelling lost keys and ordering automated audit trails for locks or users.

The CLIQ® menu of flexible software options achieves all these – and more. To learn about CLIQ® key-operated digital locking systems and software, and download a free solution guide, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/cliq-webmanager

*: see https://technology.ihs.com/617791/access-control-software-gains-stature-but-has-yet-to-realize-full-potential