SecurityWorldMarket

14/01/2021

IOT and Smart Buildings – Part 4 of 5

The future of access management: seamless and scalable

Stephanie Ordan, VP Digital and Access Solutions at Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEA, stresses a smart building needs an ecosystem where data flows in every direction.

Stephanie Ordan, VP Digital and Access Solutions at Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEA, stresses a smart building needs an ecosystem where data flows in every direction.

Building administrators want a single solution which unites all the functions relevant to them: access, lock-ing, CCTV, energy management and everything else into a single, flexible software environment, stresses Stephanie Ordan, VP Digital and Access Solutions at Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEA. She also be-lieves the recently launched Incedo platform-based access management solution will meet the changing landscape of access control.

Stephanie Ordan believes the access control market is on the brink of significant change. She says:

“In fact, change beyond access control. It is becoming ever less useful, from a forward-looking perspective, to talk about building management functions in isolation. Rapid urbanisation and technological change mean systems are being used simultaneously, every day, and often with unnecessary duplicated administrator workload across platforms.”

She stresses that Assa Abloy’s challenge is to develop solutions which create a seamless experience for security managers and building users.

How would you define a smart building that provides a seamless experience?
“A smart building needs an eco-system where data flows in every direction. Intelligent analytics track use, the environment and more data points to make better, automated decisions in real time. The way we live, work and move continually evolves. At Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEA, we understand that when it comes to securing your doors and spaces, adapting to diversity is everything. Flexibility and simple scalability allow security and other building functions to facilitate the changing ways we move in and through buildings.”

What are the benefits with smart buildings?
“Smarter buildings deliver many concrete benefits. For example, commercial buildings currently waste up to half of their energy consumption. Smart energy management can help to minimise this waste. Access control has a role here, because if your building management system knows who is present, it can modify heating or cooling systems automatically. This optimises the thermal com-fort for occupants, while reducing energy consumption, cost and overall carbon footprint. This only happens when your systems are joined up. The European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimate smart building technol-ogy will reduce energy use by at least 15 per cent. Automated controls and smart software are the key ingredients.”

Integration has been a growing trend in access control and security over many years.
“At Assa Abloy, we have long pioneered the benefits of integra-tion. Our award-winning Aperio wireless locking technology, for example, is integrated with access control systems from over 100 different manufacturers. The next generation of buildings demand we take another big leap forward. Across multiple industries, leaders identify “ecosystems” as the main driver of change for their existing business models. Security is no different.”

What do the customers demand?
“Building administrators want a single solution, available everywhere, which unites all the functions relevant to them: access, locking, CCTV, energy management and everything else into a single, powerful, flexible software environment. The latest access control software report from Omdia Technology says access control software will play a critical role for future innovation. Our new Incedo ecosystem is the logical step and its first iteration for commercial businesses is called Incedo Business.”

How does the new system work?
“Incedo is an ecosystem, based on a true platform. This will be the place where you combine and manage all the electronic security devices and systems within your building. It is modular, making it flexible and easily scalable — in any direction. You pick the most suitable options from a growing range of Incedo-enabled security and access control hardware. Assa Abloy wireless digital locks and wired wall readers secure interior and exterior doors. Also, already available, a choice of card and token credentials helps users enjoy safe and convenient access to, and movement around, your premises.

Incedo mobile keys let you open doors securely with a smartphone. Incedo’s system management op-tions – Lite, Plus and Cloud –run from entry level up to cloud-based administration. You can manage multiple sites and third-party integrations, including CCTV, when these options become avail-able. Scale up and down, add or remove hardware and credentials on demand – or switch system management options – all within your single environment. Migra-tion between Lite, Plus and Cloud options is always seamless in any direction, ensuring flexibility and peace of mind.”

Note: This editorial article has primarily been produced for the security trade magazine Detektor in collaboration with Securityworldmarket.com.



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