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Open Box & Allegion – Securing the smart building of tomorrow

Posted by Ian Saunder in: open box, bleeding edge, Real Estate

In the world of technology, we often come across companies that try to be innovative for innovation’s sake. But at Open Box, we look to qualify the business value in everything we do. As a global software development company, we constantly strive to find new ways to innovate within the Real Estate industry, but this innovation needs to drive real business value. It’s about navigating the fine line between leading-edge and bleeding-edge.

That’s why we look to collaborate with like-minded companies… people who can distil these innovations into real value for their clients. Allegion is one such company in the security space. Focusing on security around the door and adjacent areas, Allegion produces everything from mechanical locks to wireless locks and advanced biometric scanning devices, keeping every solution simple and integrated. Allegion’s approach is to consider what the customer is trying to achieve and leverage technology to achieve their goals. They too share a Blue Sky vision of the smart building of tomorrow, complete with functionality that could become a reality through Open Box and Allegion collaborations. Take a moment to picture it…

The smart building of the future becomes a space where the digital realm and the physical realm are interconnected. Using technology to simplify the lives of tenants and property managers, the smart building is a place that has no need to manage mechanical keys, a place where a broker can grant access to a building remotely without compromising security. This system would allow property managers to control large, multiple locations around the world, seamlessly and securely. Admin would be able to monitor the status of any access point at any time, streamlining maintenance processes.

Tenants would also enjoy the convenience of a secure, frictionless experience, allowing the right individuals into the right places at the correct times. Consider a Law Firm, for example. In a sensitive environment like this, it is not only crucial to manage the perimeter of the building, but also the internal space. This technology would allow you to automatically manage and restrict access to certain areas within the building, for example, conference or records rooms. With better control over remote spaces, you will be able to monitor where individuals are at any one point.

This technology is perfectly matched to the ‘Hot Desk’ rental model that’s becoming prolific in major centres around the globe. With a frequent, high-volume turn-over of tenants, you would struggle to manage a ‘Hot Desk’ building using traditional manual systems. In a smart building, you would be able to grant access to new tenants at the touch of button, while monitoring who is allowed to access certain areas at any point. And when a lease is up, it’s just as simple to cancel an individual’s access.

In addition to enhancing the experience of landlords and tenants, this technology also allow us to use the data to reveal patterns and insights that could potentially drive value back into the business. This information could help businesses become more productive, provide better customer service, improve efficiencies, improve compliance and decrease energy consumption.

Historically, the costs involved in creating such environments were prohibitive. But, we are undoubtedly still at the beginning of the adoption curve and the latent value inherent in this approach is yet to be realised. Thankfully, the cost of implementing and managing these systems is decreasing and the ROI is easily justified. Hardware costs are indeed reducing and connective devices can save energy as we move towards wireless environments.

At Open Box, we’re always looking to leverage new technologies, keeping clients abreast with the most up to date innovations. The challenge is always to create distinct business value through these technologies. And companies like Allegion are helping us all to move forward by decreasing the barriers to entry with lower cost to acquire, install and manage intelligent infrastructure. As we collaborate with such like-minded innovators, we can continue to make significant strides forward, offering our clients technology that makes a tangible difference to their business.

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