ASSA ABLOY - SMARTair

It creates challenges when a mechanical locking system grows organically over the years: Managers at South Denmark’s Syrenparken mental health treatment facility no longer had a trustworthy overview of all their physical keys in circulation. Yet, to serve the people treated there, Syrenparken must store medicines and psychotropic drugs. However, it is critical that only trusted personnel gain access. On-site access control solution As part of a modernisation program, it was decided to upgrade on-site access control. One key aim was to replace old-fashioned keys, which can easily be lost, increasing the risk they fall into the wrong hands. Managers also wanted to make a working day more efficient for their trusted employees. They were each carrying three or four keys just to perform daily tasks in multiple areas of the site. Syrenparken installed the SMARTair wireless access control system from ASSA ABLOY to meet all their security needs Syrenparken installed the SMARTair wireless access control system from ASSA ABLOY to meet all their security needs. To date, 143 SMARTair wireless locking devices are fitted on resident bedrooms, as well as doors to offices, the medicine room and storage for patient records, plus other confidential areas. Staff and residents open doors with a standard, programmable MIFARE credential. SMARTair wireless access control system System reliability was a key factor in their choice of SMARTair, according to Henrik Jürs, Head of Syrenparken: "It is possible to put our access control system on a virtual server. Should a computer go down, we can put a new computer on and then we have access to it again. We trust the data security,” he emphasises. Another important parameter was flexibility in system management: SMARTair makes it easy to administrate who should have access to which areas, and when. Instead of a bundle of keys, each employee has a key-card encoded with access rights to the exact areas they need. Online, offline access management  With SMARTair, it’s easy to combine online and offline access management within the same installation With SMARTair, it’s easy to combine online and offline access management within the same installation. At Syrenparken, 133 offline SMARTair escutcheons and 3 updaters, plus 8 offline SMARTair cabinet locks, work side-by-side within the same system as 10 SMARTair online escutcheons. If a key-card is lost, it's quick to disable it and activate a new one. There is no danger anyone unauthorised will enter controlled medicine rooms with a lost card as a result. Because managers no longer need to call a locksmith to replace the compromised escutcheon, SMARTair is also a cost-effective solution for Syrenparken. SMARTair deployment is ongoing at Syrenparken — and currently projected to reach a total of up to 200 doors.

When Groupe Hospitalier Mutualiste Portes du Sud looked to modernise door security, their focus was clear - A battery-powered rather than wired solution was required to meet the access control challenges of a hospital environment. Like any healthcare setting, Portes du Sud needed to ensure their premises are an open, welcoming space for the public, while simultaneously keeping medicines, staff, equipment and sensitive data secure. Every user group — from doctors, nurses, patients and their visitors, to a host of temporary and contract workers — needs access rights tailored to their precise demands and schedule. Wire-free electronic solution A wire-free electronic solution offers a number of concrete advantages in future-proofing hospital access control and meeting these challenges. It provides managers with the flexibility to tailor rights to a whole team or just one person — and change or cancel those access permissions anytime. They can audit access for faster incident investigation. While helping phase out expensive metal keys, wireless devices also offer seamless compatibility with existing mortise locks and easy, cost-effective installation without cables. And, because they are powered by standard batteries, any future outages do not impact hospital security. A flexible system, recommended by security experts One SMARTair escutcheon on its own replaces a wired reader, an electrical connection and a magnetic lock" Portes du Sud consulted three specialist providers and each one recommended the same system: SMARTair from ASSA ABLOY. Hospital doors are now locked securely with battery-powered, wireless escutcheons. “One SMARTair escutcheon on its own replaces a wired reader, an electrical connection and a magnetic lock. And, it is just as safe,” said Frédéric Steenhoute at Groupe Hospitalier Mutualiste Portes du Sud. SMARTair’s TS1000 software All credentials, door devices and users are managed easily from SMARTair’s TS1000 software. When someone loses their badge, managers cancel it with a couple of clicks, which saves the money and time that would be wasted changing locks in a mechanical system. If property goes missing, it’s easy to trace who went where and when, which keeps equipment and personal belongings safer. And, with no mechanical keys to order — badges are fast and cost-efficient to print from their own printer — the hospital saves money, too. Wireless access control offers autonomy As well as protecting premises with a future-proofed solution, managers value the autonomy that wireless access control gives them. On any date, at any time of day or night, the ease of use and maintenance of a wire-free system makes life simpler for hospital technicians. Devices are easy to maintain SMARTair’s Openow mobile app enables management and door unlocking by smartphone Hospital managers enjoy everyday benefits in the management of staff and temporary contractors. “The fact we can assign rights to a whole team, and also specific rights to two or three people at the same time, is very useful,” adds Steenhoute. SMARTair also several options for extending the reach or functionality of access control in the future. The hospital can add escutcheons with anti-bacterial coating, for example. Another potential future option, SMARTair’s Openow mobile app enables management and door unlocking by smartphone. SMARTair devices easy to move anytime SMARTair devices can be moved anytime, in order to adjust or reconfigure door coverage. Web management can handle access for new buildings or any Group expansion. Choosing the SMARTair wireless solution enables hospital managers to do all this — as well as install and maintain the system — in-house, which saves even more time and money. “Wireless solutions allow us to be autonomous,” said Frédéric Steenhoute, adding “It is very easy to remove an escutcheon from one door and to install it on another door; all our technicians can do it.”

Electronic access control (EAC) systems have become widespread, thanks to benefits like the security they provide to medium-to-high traffic buildings and their flexibility in access provision. Their advantages are familiar - more efficient management of user access, granting and revoking permissions anytime, real-time door status information, removing the security threat posed by lost mechanical keys, and many more. Wireless access control solutions The first widely deployed access systems were wired and — although they offered these benefits — many aspects needed to improve, including energy efficiency and installation costs, which were two prominent issues. Wireless access control solutions address these two problems, by reducing the energy consumption of a lock and requiring few or even no alterations to the door. Architects request energy-efficient building solutions Working regularly with architects, we see that the energy performance of new buildings is a growing priority for them" According to the Harvard Business Review, energy efficiency has become one of the ‘key levers of business success.’ As such, it is increasingly present in the design and construction of new buildings. “Working regularly with architects, we see that the energy performance of new buildings is a growing priority for them,” said Mikel Gaztañaga, SMARTair Sales Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions. ASSA ABLOY’s SMARTair solutions Mikel Gaztañaga adds, “It is essential to offer more efficient solutions that help them obtain BREEAM or LEED certification. Systems, such as ASSA ABLOY’s SMARTair for small- to medium-sized business are wireless and battery powered, so their energy consumption is lower than that of wired systems, as they work intelligently and consume energy only when necessary.” Battery-powered wireless locks use less power than traditional wired locks, where magnets are often permanently connected to mains electricity. Wireless locks work differently. They only ‘wake up’ when presented with a credential to make an access decision. This translates into energy savings and a carbon emission benefit, as well as potentially significant savings on energy expenditure — over 70%, or thousands of Euros over the lifetime of a typical access control installation. SMARTair wireless locks offer cost-efficient installation Mikel Gaztañaga stated, “The installation phase could contribute even more to cost savings, when architects choose wireless access technology. ASSA ABLOY analysis for the same report estimated the labour-cost saving for a wireless versus wired 100-door installation at 82.5%.” In addition to being much faster than wired installation, it is less intrusive. SMARTair wireless locks require minimal drilling of the door, while wired access control requires wiring through and partially around the door. Choosing a wireless system makes it possible to improve security at an existing building via a retrofit process, which does not inconvenience staff or disrupt daily work routines. Two Spanish projects where benefits are clear We recently equipped new build-to-rent housing in Barcelona for BeCorp" “We recently equipped new build-to-rent housing in Barcelona for BeCorp,” explains Mikel Gaztañaga, adding “This type of construction for rent is on the rise. In the case of BeCorp, it offers contemporary apartments with services, such as a concierge, swimming pool, gyms or spaces for co-working.” He continues, “They needed a keyless solution to save time in key management. Another benefit with a wireless solution like SMARTair is energy efficiency. At a site with more than 3,000 openings, the savings can add up!” Mobile access via the Openow app Yet another potential sustainability bonus for BeCorp was the option for residents to unlock with a mobile phone via the Openow app. This saves money on physical card costs and reduces the housing’s ecological footprint, by cutting the use of plastics. “We are also really proud of the Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), a health research centre, which had very demanding needs,” stated Mikel Gaztañaga, adding “In addition to energy savings, SMARTair’s ease of installation was critical. Credentials were another saving. There was no need for IMIBIC staff to change their current access card, because SMARTair is compatible with all major RFID technologies.” Quick and easy installation Whereas BeCorp was a new construction project, at IMIBIC, the installation was carried out on doors already installed, while the institute had to remain fully operational. Because door devices were not wired, the installation was quick, did not disrupt the workforce, and generated savings in installation costs.