Wireless Access Control Doesn‘t Tie You Down

As the Wireless Access Control Report 2018 recently highlighted, more and more organizations are switching to wireless access control to secure their premises. Wireless devices offer greater flexibility without sacrificing security. But choosing to cut the cables is only the first of many welcome choices when the switch to wireless is made.
Locks with integrated RFID readers are easy to retrofit to existing doors and buildings, giving security managers much more control over a site. And because these are battery powered and use almost no electricity when idle, wireless access control helps companies reduce energy bills.

Choice of Credential
Wireless access control – which includes the Aperio, Smartair and Cliq wireless locking systems from Assa Abloy – gives you the widest possible choice of credentials. You don’t even need to abandon physical keys. In the manufacturer’s Cliq key-based access control system, programmable keys with batteries power the cylinder or padlock via an encrypted interface. Both electromechanical and fully electronic cylinders are available for doors, cabinets, lifts, alarm boxes, machines and entrance gates. Users reprogram or revalidate their key access rights at wall devices, either with portable programming devices or by making a Bluetooth connection between the key and the Cliq Connect mobile phone app.
Card-based access control leaves your credential options wide open. Aperio wireless locking devices for upgrading access control systems and Smartair access control systems are both compatible with all leading RFID proximity protocols, including Mifare, DES Fire and iClass. Users can pick from standard smart-cards, tags, bracelets and other convenient formats, tailored to their site. Wireless escutcheons come with optional PIN keypads for doors where multi-factor authentication is needed for upgraded security.
In addition, a Smart Air system offers mobile-ready access. Administrators can open electronic door locks remotely. At the user end, the Openow app stores validated virtual keys on a smartphone, so there’s no need for anyone to visit a Smartair officer to physically collect or update a credential. Virtual keys can be sent or revoked over the air for maximum, time-saving flexibility. Users just tap a Smartair lock to open up via Bluetooth.

No Size or Type Limits
Whatever size the premises, and no matter what work is done there, a wireless access control system fits. In the healthcare sector, a card-based access system can manage huge hospitals and also small doctors’ surgeries where, for example, optional anti-bacterial coatings preserve hygienic environments. Assa Abloy wireless access control protects both single-unit shops as well as whole shopping malls; care homes and corporate headquarters. From Helen Oy power stations in Helsinki to ULab, Alicante’s newest co-working space, wireless has shown to be the right solution.
A key-based access system such as Cliq, for example, caters to complex, multi-location businesses with thousands of locks securing hundreds of employees, and also contractors who need access round the clock. Many utilities operate remote sites that are miles from reliable mains electricity and often at the mercy of extreme weather. None of these challenges stops Cliq cylinders and padlocks meeting the demands of trusted security critical infrastructure.
But the Cliq system is not just for the giants; one user-friendly extension of the technology, Cliq Go, enables small business owners to manage an access system from a mobile app. A few taps on the screen is all it takes to cancel, issue or change the door permissions for an employee’s Cliq key.

System Management Options
Wireless access control does not restrict your system management workflows. The backbone of every Assa Abloy wireless access system is intuitive software that makes it easy for facility managers to control, identify and update exactly who can open every door. For all the company‘s wireless access ecosystems, a user-friendly software interface is accessible from almost any standard PC, tablet or smartphone. It gives facility managers an instant overview of their site’s security status from anywhere.
With Aperio wireless locks, new doors are managed from the same interface as an existing access control system. System devices integrate online or offline (or both) with access systems from over 100 different manufacturers. System administrators see only one, familiar admin interface. Smartair offers a menu of management options from standalone operation through offline and Update-on-Card control to real-time control via Smartair wireless online functionality. With wireless, the choice is there.