Assa Abloy's Aperio Secures Dutch University
At the InHolland University of Applied Sciences, a rolling project to upgrade access control at all locations has been ongoing for several years. Typical of any large educational setting, the tension between remaining open and accessible on the one hand — and securing people, equipment and data on the other — is a critical factor. The solution for this particular university was Assa Abloy's Aperio system.
More than 500 Aperio wireless door locking devices have now been deployed at seven separate InHolland campus sites. The battery-powered locks provide tested and trusted protection for the university’s most important areas and rooms, including offices and exam storage spaces. Aperio devices fit all kinds of interior openings, including wooden and glass doors, as well as fire doors. Aperio cylinders, escutcheons, handles and security locks also have built-in RFID readers for installer and user convenience.
All InHolland’s new Aperio devices are fully and seamlessly integrated with the university’s Nedap AEOS access control system. A single credential allows users to unlock all authorized openings managed by the AEOS system — both wired and Aperio-protected doors.
Because Aperio locking devices are wireless, they were installed and initiated quickly — without disruption to InHolland buildings or their students’ working day.
A recent Assa Abloy benchmarking study finds installer labour costs are over 80 percent lower for wireless versus wired locks. The ongoing cost of running battery-operated wireless locks is also much lower than for equivalent wired electronic locks, which require an “always on” connection to mains electricity to maintain secure status. In addition, choosing Aperio gives InHolland the ability to roll out enhancements over time, as needs, budgets and priorities evolved. Aperio devices can be added and integrated gradually, with no need to replace existing systems. InHolland’s investment remains totally future-proofed.
Fitting Aperio wireless escutcheons and locks to critical doors ensures university staff, students, visitors and confidential information are safe without impacting site accessibility. Authorised users open relevant secure doors conveniently with a programmable RFID credential. Aperio’s inherent flexibility makes it easy to adjust any space’s level of protection at any time. So, locking status is regularly reconfigured as needs and usage evolves around the multi-site campus and university facilities.
“I am very satisfied with the implementation and operation of the Aperio solution and I have every confidence in Assa Abloy as a manufacturer,” concludes Frans Bruggeman, Facility Services Consultant at InHolland.
Based on their experience to date with Aperio, InHolland are already planning for the future. A new university in Amsterdam will become a smart building and will require access control able to integrate with smart building systems. Aperio is built on an open platform, designed for interoperability, so this is a natural fit. InHolland will enter pilot stage for their new smart building soon.
