At this Dutch university, Aperio® delivers integrated, wireless access control more cost efficiently than wired locks
At the InHolland University of Applied Sciences, a rolling project to upgrade access control at all locations has been ongoing for several years. Typical of any large educational setting, the tension between remaining open and accessible on the one hand — and securing people, equipment and data on the other — is a critical factor.
More than 500 Aperio® wireless door locking devices have now been deployed at 7 separate InHolland campus sites. These battery-powered locks provide tested and trusted protection for the university’s most important areas and rooms, including offices and exam storage spaces. Aperio devices fit all kinds of interior openings, including wooden and glass doors, as well as fire doors. Aperio cylinders, escutcheons, handles and security locks have in-built RFID readers for installer and user convenience.
All InHolland’s new Aperio devices are fully and seamlessly integrated with the university’s Nedap AEOS access control system. A single credential allows users to unlock all authorized openings managed by the AEOS system — whether wired or Aperio-protected doors.
Because Aperio locking devices are wireless, they were installed and initiated quickly — without disruption to InHolland buildings or their students’ working day. And choosing Aperio saved more than just time. A recent ASSA ABLOY benchmarking study finds installer labour costs are over 80% lower for wireless versus wired locks. The ongoing cost of running battery-operated wireless locks is also much lower than for equivalent wired electronic locks, which require an “always on” connection to mains electricity to maintain secure status. In addition, choosing Aperio gives InHolland the ability to roll out enhancements over time, as needs, budgets and priorities evolved. Aperio devices can be added and integrated gradually, with no need to replace existing systems. InHolland’s investment remains totally future-proofed.
Fitting Aperio wireless escutcheons and locks to critical doors ensures university staff, students, visitors and confidential information are safe without impacting site accessibility. Authorised users open relevant secure doors conveniently with a programmable RFID credential. Aperio’s inherent flexibility makes it easy to adjust any space’s level of protection at any time. So, locking status is regularly reconfigured as needs and usage evolves around the multi-site campus and university facilities.
Based on their experience to date with Aperio, InHolland are already planning for the future. A new university in Amsterdam will become a smart building and will require access control able to integrate with smart building systems. Aperio is built on an open platform, designed for interoperability, so this is a natural fit. InHolland will enter pilot stage for their new smart building soon.
“I am very satisfied with the implementation and operation of the Aperio solution and I have every confidence in ASSA ABLOY as a manufacturer,” concludes Frans Bruggeman, Facility Services Consultant at InHolland.
Two more educational sites which trust Aperio
In suburban Marseille, around 7,000 people pass through the Luminy faculty’s campus every day. As part of a major project to modernize two buildings, university managers sought a retrofit-ready access control solution. University administrators here also selected Aperio locks to secure doors in the new buildings. With Aperio, facilities staff deal with lost keys more efficiently. The laborious process of changing locks and reissuing keys — part of the daily workload with mechanical locking — vanishes.
The Luminy campus is now equipped with 372 Aperio Electronic Cylinders and 42 Aperio Electronic Handles with built-in RFID readers. Locks are integrated seamlessly, wirelessly and online with Luminy’s ARD access control system. One key goal was to deter theft, which was becoming a problem in teaching areas — especially those with computers.
“Since we installed Aperio, we have not had a break-in,” says Cédric Lopez, Maintenance Manager at Luminy.
In addition to theft deterrence, Aperio met additional criteria for the security upgrade. Staff and students carry individual access smart-cards. Doors and credentials are easily programmed and reprogrammed to accommodate everyone’s changing access needs.
Luminy’s security team has complete control over access permissions and campus traffic — in real time. Because their Aperio devices are integrated online, staff see a “live” overview of the campus and respond proactively to incidents. Aperio is trusted to protect the most sensitive areas of the campus. “We have critical premises, including for the storage of chemicals, some with radioactive properties,” adds Lopez.
Aperio locks are built on an open technology platform, so are flexible enough to integrate with the university’s room scheduling system. “Teachers are able to reserve their rooms. Students no longer have to wait for the teacher’s arrival, because they have access to the right rooms in defined time slots,” says Lopez. The student credential automatically opens classroom doors, if the student has pre-authorised access rights. For the facilities team, the ARD interface displays scheduling for all relevant rooms in real time.
Real-time control for a busy campus
In nearby Aix-en-Provence a provider of future-oriented business education, The Camp, sought an access control solution as forward-thinking as their courses. Their campus site is diverse, with offices, event spaces, kitchens and two accommodation blocks totalling 170 units. The Camp must remain open around the clock, all week, yet maintain security for staff and visitors.
Aperio provided locking devices tailored to every door type — interior and exterior. So far, The Camp has integrated 221 Aperio Wireless Escutcheons, 42 Aperio Wireless Cylinders and 10 Aperio Wireless Handles within a TIL Technologies security system.
Integrated online with the central system and controlled from the same interface, these Aperio devices effortlessly handle daily staff traffic of around 250 people. Meeting rooms, server rooms, living spaces and kitchens are secured with Aperio wireless locks. Up to 2,000 external visitors arrive on-site when The Camp stages an event; each one must also have credentials issued and access filtered through the site. Aperio makes it straightforward to enable this visitor access.
“Many credentials get lost and Aperio enables us to handle this efficiently,” says Benjamin Ciotto, Head of Information Technology at The Camp. A few clicks are all it takes to cancel a lost key-card and issue a replacement.
Campus security is future-proofed
Security staff at The Camp ensure only authorized users enter offices where expensive video projectors and screens are stored. Their TIL integration enables real-time management of the whole site, with specific profiles created to segment individuals who need granular access to specific areas.
“Online mode is very important because [access] rights are very often updated for the constantly shifting campus population,” explains Ciotto. “We can also program access to defined time slots, which is essential when we welcome 200 people for an all-day meeting, for example.”
Aperio technology met The Camp’s need for an aesthetically pleasing, wireless solution. They did not want to compromise their interior or exterior design. The Aperio product ecosystem also fits The Camp’s sustainability-aware ethos. Because Aperio devices are wireless and battery powered, they are much more energy efficient than wired locking systems. Multiple Aperio devices have independently assessed Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These detail the footprint of each device through its full life-cycle, from production to disposal.
To download a free Aperio® Wireless Access Control Solution Guide, visit:
https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-university