Remember how characters in Star Trek would approach a door that would automatically open as they came close? It seemed like high-tech fantasy a decade ago, but now it’s reality. There are buildings that are already using innovative wireless technology to control access. Want to enter an office building or individual suite? Today, all you might need is a smartphone app — no keys, no fobs, no cards.
The future of building security is already implemented in Vornado Realty Trust’s corporate building in Crystal City, Virginia. Authorized users hardly slow down to pass through secured doors, using the most advanced mobile access control solution on the market today. Vornado’s employees don’t even care to take their smartphones out of their briefcases or pockets: the wireless signal used by the building’s security system is strong enough to locate their phones on its own. They also have the benefit of a personal panic button. Once the button’s activated, it alerts security guards in the building, and they can track the location of the person who activated it.
Kastle Systems introduced this security system in 2016, and Vornado Realty Trust is one of the owners/ managers that are using the system to take care of their security needs. Kastle’s wireless security is part of the growing trend to secure buildings with keyless entry. Bluetooth-enabled keyless entry is fast, convenient and provides a higher level of security. This is something that most of your residents and tenants would enjoy, especially if they could eliminate the need to pull their cards and fobs out of their pockets or deal with an opening device when their hands are full.
The day this becomes commonplace is nearing fast, as keyless entry security systems are beginning to spread around the country and more property owners and managers realize their benefits. For starters, these systems are more secure because they are encrypted: each time a door is opened, the user’s app creates a one-time-use key. No key is ever the same.
These systems can anonymously capture aggregate data on space utilization, traffic patterns, air quality and security. This information can literally be a lifesaver in emergency situations, for example, in case of a fire, the system will help to let management know if anyone has not left the building.
Keyless entry security systems also help save energy. Having continuous, real-time data on traffic flow enables managers to program HVAC systems to lower heating or air-conditioning in lightly used areas. If your security data show that your gym or community room is not used at all at a certain hour, why waste electricity on heating or cooling these amenity areas for no one?
There are other efficiency and cost-reducing benefits as well. The user’s app can be downloaded and managed electronically, which eliminates the headache of replacing lost or stolen cards and issuing new ones for customers. This alone can generate a significant saving for some buildings.
As most of today’s innovative security solutions, keyless entry systems are cloud-based. Cloud-based applications for security systems offer application access from any location with an Internet connection, rapidly replacing cumbersome and less flexible location-based approaches. Cloud-based systems are also inherently more reliable and more cost-effective since there is less infrastructure investment required and no dependency on technologies used in a building.
As with most access-control installations, fire and life safety regulations determine the process of choosing which doors to secure and which hardware to select. But, with a cloud-based system, it is necessary only to install door hardware (readers or electronic locks wired to an intelligent door controller that connects to the cloud). This allows a building’s management team to log into a computer to set up, define schedules, create access and provide the necessary credentials with a few clicks of a mouse.
In addition to less upfront installation time, cloudbased access control systems require less maintenance because the security provider automatically manages all software upgrades.
Keyless entry and WiFi-enabled security is becoming the new standard in building security as the security industry is increasingly adopting smartphone and Bluetooth technology. As more timesaving, convenient technology tools become available for everyday use, you can wow residents and tenants while at the same time making your buildings safer and more enjoyable.
Increasingly, buildings are choosing to protect lives and property by delivering security as a competitive amenity in a single, streamlined approach. They are moving past keys. What about you?
For more information, contact your Kastle Account Manager or email info@kastle.com.
