For the design and construction of its Hillsborough office the latest technology and building materials were specified with sustainability firmly in mind. Alongside environmental building techniques, one of the principal aims of the building was to create an ‘almost keyless building’ that was future proofed, whose value and operation would withstand the test of time through the implementation and use of the latest in stand alone contactless access control technology.

“Many end users are now looking to ‘throw away the key’ and embrace the latest in wire free and wireless access control technologies for their building security needs, creating totally keyless buildings that are smart to own, manage and operate” says Gerald Etherson, Product Manager of Salto’s Northern Ireland Business Partner, Ambar Systems.

“Reducing infrastructure costs by eliminating the expense of hard wiring is the main driver behind this, so clients are increasingly looking at the many benefits offered by battery powered stand alone systems to achieve a balance between affordable cost and control,” Etherson continues.

With the ability to customise both the system hardware and software to suit the end user, the access control solution specified for the Graham offices was the Salto XS4 and virtual network system (SVN).

The SVN system allows the XS4 units to read, receive and write information via the buildings staff smart ID cards. Since most access related information is kept encrypted on these cards, the wall readers are able to update and receive information from the cards at any time. So not only is the system easy to use, but its functionality also provides 90% of the benefits of a fully on line access control system at the cost of a stand alone system.

The ‘smart’ ID cards build up ‘on-card’ audit trails through normal use giving Graham complete control over access including allowing access to specific rooms or areas within the building for selected periods only, with the doors auto locking at pre-specified times as required. If security is breached due to the loss of an ID card, it can be instantly deleted from the system without the need or cost of rekeying or changing locks – saving Graham time and money.

Raymond Gregg, Group IT Infrastructure / Telecommunications Manager from Graham said “SALTO was chosen because of its cost and flexibility to expand at any time and also with the system being Mifare there was always the possibility to add further applications to the ID card as and when required.”