Installation, operation and expansion: electronic access control has costs attached to every stage of its lifetime. And for commercial buildings which see interior design changes and retrofits regularly, the costs and inconvenience can become prohibitive – however, there is an alternative access control solution: wireless.
Expanding the coverage of traditional locks or upgrading your access control system can be expensive and intrusive. But one fast, easy and cost-effective alternative enables you to forget about keys and the hassles of key management: wireless devices like Aperio battery-powered locks with integrated RFID-readers. The ease and cost-efficient integration that wireless offers is driving major growth in the wireless access control space.
Installation is where it all begins. The installation stage is also the largest contributor to the potential cost savings in choosing wireless. In calculations for a recent cost savings report, ASSA ABLOY experts examined likely costs of a 100-door installation. Labour cost savings for those who chose wireless versus wired locks were a staggering 82.5%*.
Wireless installation is much faster; it is also less intrusive. Leading wireless locks require little or no drilling around the door, whereas wired access control needs cabling through and partly around the door. You can upgrade building security without inconveniencing your staff or disturbing everyday work routines.
Because Aperio has an open architecture, it is flexible and modular, so those who already have wired access control and want to add more doors to their existing system, find wireless is the solution. Aperio wireless locks integrate with security systems from over 100 different OEMs worldwide, for new installations or to upgrade an existing system. Integration is seamless, extending the reach of an existing system with future-proofed devices. Security administrators operate the new Aperio-equipped doors from the same interface as the installed system. Site users carry a single smart access card for all doors and other functions like canteen payments or library loans are just as easy to integrate.
What if your security system uses mechanical keys, without electronic access control? Wireless locks can also be the right solution. Battery-powered Aperio RFID-equipped cylinders, escutcheons, handles and locks can be fitted as a new access control system, or extend an existing installation by linking new doors to the same system wirelessly. There’s no need for staff to swap their key-cards, nor for anyone to carry more than one credential. Aperio locks are energy-efficient, with batteries lasting an average of 40 000 cycles (typically two years) before they need replacing.
Energy savings contribute to sustainability
According to the Harvard Business Review, energy efficiency has become one of the “key levers for business success”**. Battery powered wireless locks use less energy than traditional wired locks, which normally work via magnets connected permanently to electricity.
Wireless locks work differently. They only ‘wake up’ when presented with a credential for which they must make an access decision. This translates into another potentially large saving on your annual energy budget: more than 70%*, or thousands of rands over a typical access control installation’s lifetime.
Other related energy and material costs are also lower for wireless locks. During operation, wireless locks require just a battery change – once every two years (approximately).
Wireless locks also provide more flexibility and can reduce costs when you reconfigure or expand office space. High-quality wireless locks can typically be reinstalled at another door without impacting their reliability. You can move them to wherever is convenient if your office space changes again. Typical cost savings on your next office relocation or expansion are around 30%* with wireless over wired locking.
Choosing cost-saving wireless locks
The battery-powered Aperio RFID-equipped locks come in various formats to suit your door or application, from server rack door locks to cylinders, escutcheons and electronic handles like the H100 and can be fitted as a new access control system or extend an existing installation by linking new doors to the same system wirelessly. Working seamlessly with the majority of access control systems on the market, one control panel manages everything, Aperio and legacy locks.
For more information contact ASSA ABLOY Africa, Hayley Elwen,
*: ASSA ABLOY in-house calculations. See report: https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/hubfs/AA_Aperio_CostSavings_Solutionguide_07_2020_ENG_EMEA.pdf
**: https://hbr.org/2017/01/energy-strategy-for-the-c-suite
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