ProdataKey (PDK) and ASSA ABLOY announced the completion of a campus-wide security upgrade at Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary, N.C. Modern Systems, of Yadkinville, N.C, installed a fully integrated wireless lock and access control solution securing 370 doors spread across the community’s main building entrances, public access areas, offices and residential apartment units.
The system makes use of ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio wireless locksets with PDK’s cloud access control software, providing administrators with the ability to remotely lock and unlock doors, set specific hours for maintenance workers’ access to buildings, continuously monitor door use, and easily retrieve system-wide reports. ASSA ABLOY IN100 Aperio wireless locks feature sleek readers integrated with the door hardware, helping to preserve the upscale aesthetic of Glenaire’s many buildings.
The system will continue to grow, with expansion to all electrical rooms, storage rooms, mechanical rooms and closets, bringing the total to approximately 650 doors, as well as another 190 apartments and 40 assisted living units. As new doors come online, they will appear within the completely scalable PDK interface with no interruption to service or administrative functions.
System management of PDK software can be handled completely from any mobile device or computer browser. Modern Systems was able to upload the user database from Glenaire’s legacy access control system to PDK’s cloud servers, allowing residents to retain use of their existing cards, which previously were used only to open the front doors of main buildings. With the PDK/ASSA ABLOY system, they now use those same cards to access public areas and their own private residences. “Guest” cards, with more restricted access, are available for residents to give to family or friends as appropriate. Customized card permissions have also been established for staff groups, including service workers, nursing professionals and dining staff.
Modern Systems plans to soon facilitate an integration between the PDK software and several other security solutions they have installed at Glenaire. Mapping between doors and surveillance cameras, which are part of a new Milestone Systems video management solution, will not only enhance security but assist with Glenaire’s missing resident protocol. When a resident is missing, administrators will be able to quickly call up cameras from the last door where the resident used his or her access card. They also plan to connect the facility’s Situational Awareness and Response Assistant (SARA) risk management solution and mass notification system, from Status Solutions, with PDK. This integration will be important both in campus lockdown situations, as well as to assist with entry for response teams during medical emergencies.
“[The solution] has the most modern, up-to-date access control software of anything I’ve seen,” said Glenaire’s director of facility services, Ryan Ferguson. “In addition, we were able to install the wireless PDK/ASSA ABLOY solution in about half the time it would have taken to install a wired solution, and for about half the cost.”
Cory Jackson, PDK’s vice president of strategic sales, added, “The Glenaire project demonstrates the many ways in which our cloud solution makes sense for enterprise scale customers. The fact that all updates and security patches are automatically installed; system expansion is pain-free and limitless even across multiple buildings or sites; we offer seamless integration with solutions from valuable partners like ASSA ABLOY and others; and the customer’s in-house network is not exposed to any potential cyber vulnerabilities, are all reasons that PDK is gaining traction with larger customers.”
Retirement communities like Glenaire face a very unique set of challenges added Caleb Allen, electro-mechanical specialist for ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions. “The ability to provide a sense of security to residents and their families while still creating an environment that feels like home is paramount. We were happy to offer them a solution that made it easy and affordable to install comprehensive access control throughout the facility.”
