Abloy UK is highlighting the functionality of its SMARTair wireless access control solution, which gives Facilities managers full control to lock down access to areas of, or an entire building, quickly and safely in an emergency.
The company said: “SMARTair offers intelligent access control – opening, locking, or maintaining access to individual doors or zones to deal with an emergency. With a single command, doors equipped with SMARTair devices may be set to ‘Block Mode’, and can only be unlocked with a specific credential.”
This means that apart from designated staff, no one on site can move around freely. Alternatively, the ‘Emergency Close’ function can lock all openings remotely and simultaneously, but an authorised credential may still unlock them. As a third option, every device can be set to ‘Emergency Open’, which unlocks them all – for example to provide fire services with instant access to a whole building or site.
Full building lockdown may be initiated either from the system’s software interface or web manager, or via an emergency push-button connected to a SMARTair HUB. SMARTair also enables control of each individual door. A Facilities manager can pre-define over 250 different lockdown ‘zones’, and – in an emergency – choose whether to lock down a whole zone or just specific doors. Abloy UK said: “This level of control could protect people and valuable assets, or in extreme situations, even save lives.”
It added: “With intuitive management software and battery-powered locks for almost any application, a SMARTair system is easy to install and convenient to use. It can handle a large number of users, with a choice of credentials, including standard RFID cards, tags, and fobs, along with Mobile Keys via the SMARTair Openow app. The system is more cost-efficient to run than wired access control, which needs mains electricity, or traditional mechanical security, where locks must be managed manually and individually. With no cabling required, doors require minimal alteration when SMARTair devices are fitted.”