What are the latest door lock developments?
Image courtesy of ASSA Abloy
By Kate Jackson, Industry Reporter
and significantly, without draining the battery life of such devices.
Tongues and grooves may have ruled for two thousand years, but hotel door locks are now all about waves.
“This is because BLE can prevent unnecessary battery usage by only activating radio communication when needed and by transmitting small data packages at low transfer speeds.
Electronic locks have opened the doors to accessing a property’s car park and guest suites, pool decks and gym rooms with the flourish of a card, wristband or smartphone.
“For the security access market, BLE is a central component that has allowed for the rise of digital key technology, a feature that is increasingly being found in hotels around the world and is even being mandated by several hotel brands as a required service to be offered at each of its locations.”
All doors throughout your accom property - whether it’s the Hilton or a hostel - can be controlled and managed through an electronic system which automatically generates and monitors keys for check-ins. Access control management software can configure locks to access specific areas at set hours of the day on particular days of the week. And wireless solutions allow commands to be sent remotely to the locks in situations such as guest lockout or lost key cancellation. Of course, as well providing speedy and hassle-free access, latest technology must deliver on the basics of safety and reliability. Security has previously been an issue for touchless check-in systems, but quality
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AccomNews - Winter 2020
Image courtesy of Salto Systems
manufacturers have developed a number of safeguards to prevent issues of data theft.
Industry perspectives Cedric Duigou, SALTO Systems channel manager for hospitality, Australia and New Zealand, told us: “In terms of the security, quality manufacturers will ensure the access rights are sent as a 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encrypted digital key over-the-air using a fast and secured transmission based on SSL (secure sockets layer) protocols. “The digital key is protected by anti-cloning technology and can be deleted anytime. They can
also provide an API (application programming interface) for hotels to embed the mobile key within their own app.” So, what are the latest technological developments in door locking, and how do they make life easier for managers and guests? We asked Michael Benikos, managing director of ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Australia to explain. He told us: “BLE (Bluetooth low energy) has really taken off within the hospitality industry because it provides hoteliers with the opportunity to offer an array of convenienceenhancing abilities due to the mass presence of guest devices,
SAFETY & SECURITY
Cedric Duigou says the great advantage of both NFC (nearfield communication) and BLE technology is that they allow guests to use their smartphone as a mobile key. “Guests can receive a key anytime, anywhere, allowing them to arrive outside of hours or skip the checkin process entirely. “The mobile key offers a more cost effective and environmentally sustainable response compared to physical cards. The next big trend will be mobile keys because they are more cost effective, secure, convenient and a greener solution.” P46 www.accomnews.com.au
