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Switching to electronic access control and digital keys can make life much easier for businesses, compared to regularly changing physical office locks, argues Assa Abloy.
While mechanical keys will keep a building secure, they lack the flexibility to adapt to your changing security needs. Standard physical keys are difficult to track without a key management system. Some types of key are quite straightforward to cut without permission. And when a key goes missing, changing a standard mechanical lock or rekeying is time-consuming and often expensive — often costing up to €100 or more each time.
Yet the alternative — electronic access control — can seem daunting, technical and potentially expensive. But this need not be the case, if you choose the right wireless access control system.
The basics of digital locking
Everything begins with the credential — the digital key your building users will carry at all times. Credentials can be plastic smart cards, fobs, wristbands or even stored in a secure mobile phone app. The best wireless access control systems let you choose the format to suit your business, and even to mix different types of credential in the same building.
When you swap keys for credentials, you bring enhanced flexibility to building security. Most importantly, if someone loses their credential, you can cancel it with a click. You’ll never rekey or change the locks again.
Electronic access control is highly flexible. So, if some staff should have access everywhere, but others only through the main door, it is easy to program the system to allow just that. Plus, you can program and reprogram credentials and wireless door locks as many times as you like: employees leaving or joining the company create very little workload.
If the worst happens and there’s an unexpected incident — unauthorised intrusion or theft — an access control system helps you handle it quickly and efficiently. Because everyone carries personalised credentials, your system software will tell you who went where and when.
Speed of installation
A modern, wireless system with digital door locks, programmable credentials and user-friendly software (to keep it all running) is easy, affordable and fast to install. It takes only one day to switch a medium-sized office from mechanical lock-and-key security to digital credentials. There’s no major cabling, no major adjustments around your existing doors and almost no noisy, dirty drilling.
All over Europe — at offices and sports venues, schools and university dorms, co-working spaces and medical practices — SMARTair wireless locks have transformed workplace security. SMARTair battery-powered cylinders, escutcheons, security locks and readers are fast to fit and can protect almost any door or access point, from boardrooms and storerooms to fire escapes and lifts. Little or no training is needed to use SMARTair’s management software: when your installer departs, hardware and software will be ready to go.
The physical access control market is moving fast. Find out where you stand with the latest edition of IFSEC Insider's comprehensive 2022 State of Physical Access Control trend report, covering all the latest developments within the market. We assess the current technology in use, upgrade plans and challenges, and major trends on the horizon after receiving the views of over 1000 security, facilities and IT professionals.
Why switching to electronic access control is “easier than ever”Switching to electronic access control and digital keys can make life much easier for businesses, compared to regularly changing physical office locks, argues Assa Abloy.
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