SALTO access control system installs in Dublin’s new UCD sports precinct

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SALTO Systems announces the successful installation of a new proximity access control system to secure University College Dublin’s brand new Student Learning Leisure and Sports Facility (SLLS).

UCD is Ireland’s largest university with almost 25,000 students and is one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities providing undergraduate education, postgraduate masters and PhD training. It is located on a 133-hectare campus close to Dublin’s city centre, which provides a mix of academic facilities, research institutes, libraries and archival collections, enterprise space, student villages, and sports and recreational facilities.

So as part of an ongoing major capital investment programme, construction of a new world class Student Learning Leisure and Sports facility (SLLS) has just completed on the University’s Belfield Campus. The new facility, which will act as a key part of a comprehensive sporting infrastructure, is located between the current Student Centre and Sports Centre buildings and in addition to incorporating a 50m swimming pool and fitness centre, will also house a dance studio, debating chamber, drama theatre, multimedia and seminar rooms, a media centre, student health facilities and café space.

To control access into and within the facility UCD elected to again install a SALTO solution as this is already used extensively throughout the University, most notably in its Merville Student Village apartments.

Kieran Gorey of Doorware Ltd, SALTO’s country distributor in Ireland says “The XS4 electronic escutcheon platform in the form of E9450 handle sets, together with WRM90001 and WRM9001E wall readers and CU50ENSVN AND CU5000 controllers, provide the means to operate in an almost totally keyless environment because of their unique ability to distribute card holder and system information to access controlled doors by using the card to upload and download information between the on-line and off-line doors.”

This lets the door mounted XS4 units read, receive and write information via the College’s UCARD, UCD’s official campus wide ID smartcard. This provides students and staff with one card, saving the hassle of carrying around several different cards to fulfil different purposes, and provides access to a range of University facilities including entry to UCD residences and the library, and it is also used as a time and attendance card, as an electronic payment device for food in the main restaurant, the laundry and for print, copy, and scanning in the on campus CopiPrint facility.

Since most access related information is kept encrypted on the UCARD’s, the wall readers are able to update and receive information from the cards at any time. So not only is the system easy to use, but it provides 90% of the benefits of a fully on line access control system at the cost of a standalone system.

The cards build up ‘on-card’ audit trails through normal use giving UCD complete control over access and enabling the movement of students, staff and visitors to and within the Student Learning Leisure and Sports Facility (SLLS) to be monitored 24/7 as well as controlling who can access what, where and when at all times.

The cards can also be programmed to allow access to specific rooms or areas within the SLLS building for selected periods only, with the doors auto locking at pre-specified times as required. And if key security is breached due to the loss or theft of a UCARD, it can be instantly deleted without the need or cost of rekeying or changing locks – saving the University time and money.

Grace Connolly, Assistant Manager UCD Sports and Fitness Centre, says “We take the safety and security of students and staff very seriously and we are very pleased with the SALTO system installed for us by Doorware. Our new Student Learning Leisure and Sports facility (SLLS) is a world class facility and we wanted a world class security solution to handle its access control requirements. As SALTO is already used to control access to our on campus student accommodation it seemed the perfect choice as it is future proof enabling it to grow with us as our security needs expand.”