Heriot-Watt University opens door to student bedroom smart access control
Effective campus security is a difficult assignment for any university as it mostly depends on knowing who is on campus and where and when they have access. But when your on-site student accommodation is located in 5 buildings spread over two campuses' that are almost 40 miles apart, it becomes even more of a challenge.
That was the problem facing Scotland's Heriot-Watt University, one of the top UK universities for business and industry with an established reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, when they decided to upgrade their housing offering.
The university knows how important good quality accommodation is to the student experience and has 1,600 residential self-catering places available at its Edinburgh campus, 300 of which are in a new student residences development, while 218 residential places in a £12 million new state-of-the-art student village are available at the Galashiels campus.
With regard to security, the university were looking to future proof both sites for expansion. Andy Crichton, SALTO Systems Scotland Area Manager, says "The key to gaining and keeping cost-effective control of all buildings across a campus is to get all the buildings running the same contactless smartcard system, eliminating the multitude of different security systems that typically get installed and added to over time. This can include an almost unmanageable mix of keys and pin-code locks that present both estate and security departments with an impossible task of keeping on top of what is secure, controlling keys and codes not to mention the cost of having to replace locks where keys have been lost and security has been compromised.
To avoid such a scenario we were asked to put together two access control system designs for the university. Both would run across 5 buildings over two sites, two buildings on the Riccarton campus in Edinburgh and 3 buildings at Borders campus in Galasheils, using the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) and SALTO Wireless Network (SWN). Both sites would also use the Mifare DESfire card. "
The SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) allows stand-alone locks to read, receive and write information via SALTO Data-on-Card technology. With this, user related access information is stored in an encrypted format on the smart card with on-line wall readers able to update (and receive information from) the cards at any time anywhere in the building. The SALTO Wireless Network includes all the features of SVN but additionally allows users to control access in real time. All locks communicate with a central server via gateways in real time through RF (2,4Ghz) to provide the highest level of security and control.
Crichton continues "On the Riccarton campus the two buildings, Christina Miller Hall east and west, are split into 3 blocks each and designated blocks A, B and C. The main reception is in the east building with a shared laundry block in the west building that all students need to access. There are 330 doors secured across both buildings.
The buildings, which consist of 5 bedroom flats and 10 -12 bedroom flats, are secured with external wall readers at the main entrance, with blocks A and B sharing access. The main entrance door is also protected by a XS4 wireless handle and requires an authorized card to enter at all times. The bedroom doors are secured by the same XS4 wireless handles set in toggle mode. This allows access via the card which puts the lock into an unlocked mode to allow free access to the room. This particular feature was requested by the university to assist them when students locked themselves out of their flats by leaving their access cards in their rooms.
Meanwhile on the Galasheils campus, their three buildings consist of the Gateway building with135 doors, Pavilion One with 156 doors and Pavilion Two with 268 doors. The Gateway building has 3 hard wired main entrance doors. The main reception is in the Gateway building as is the laundry area. All students have access to these areas. The bedrooms are set up to operate here with a function known as exit leaves open. Students are required to use their access card to gain entry, but when they leave their room the lock goes into an unlocked state for a pre determined time. As at Riccarton, the flats here are also fitted with XS4 wireless handle sets.
All bedrooms in both campuses also have Salto Energy Saving Devices (ESD) fitted. These can only be used by the student assigned to that room. If the student goes to another room and inserts their card in the ESD it will not activate the power in that room."
Adrian Johnston, Project Manager Estates Services at Heriot-Watt University comments "Residential accommodation at many universities can face a number of security issues so ensuring the safety of students and their assets is a high priority.
Controlling access therefore plays a very important role in securing and protecting buildings at both our Riccarton and Galasheils campuses. The SALTO Pro Access for service software we're now using allows us to control the whole system centrally from the main data centre located on the Riccarton campus, while individual departments on both campuses can manage and configure their own doors, users and access rights locally via the WAN network.
We selected a SALTO solution because of their reputation for being class leaders in advanced technology security solutions for the education sector. Our new XS4 smart locks now enable us to upgrade our security arrangements as and when required without having to buy new hardware, saving Heriot-Watt long term operating costs while providing the university with what it needs most, 24/7 total control."
SALTO access control system installs in Dublin's new UCD sports precinct
SALTO Systems announces the successful installation of a new proximity access control system to secure University College Dublin's brand new Student Learning Leisure and Sports Facility (SLLS).
UCD is Ireland's largest university with almost 25,000 students and is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities providing undergraduate education, postgraduate masters and PhD training. It is located on a 133-hectare campus close to Dublin's city centre, which provides a mix of academic facilities, research institutes, libraries and archival collections, enterprise space, student villages, and sports and recreational facilities.
So as part of an ongoing major capital investment programme, construction of a new world class Student Learning Leisure and Sports facility (SLLS) has just completed on the University's Belfield Campus. The new facility, which will act as a key part of a comprehensive sporting infrastructure, is located between the current Student Centre and Sports Centre buildings and in addition to incorporating a 50m swimming pool and fitness centre, will also house a dance studio, debating chamber, drama theatre, multimedia and seminar rooms, a media centre, student health facilities and café space.
To control access into and within the facility UCD elected to again install a SALTO solution as this is already used extensively throughout the University, most notably in its Merville Student Village apartments.
Kieran Gorey of Doorware Ltd, SALTO's country distributor in Ireland says "The XS4 electronic escutcheon platform in the form of E9450 handle sets, together with WRM90001 and WRM9001E wall readers and CU50ENSVN AND CU5000 controllers, provide the means to operate in an almost totally keyless environment because of their unique ability to distribute card holder and system information to access controlled doors by using the card to upload and download information between the on-line and off-line doors."
This lets the door mounted XS4 units read, receive and write information via the College's UCARD, UCD's official campus wide ID smartcard. This provides students and staff with one card, saving the hassle of carrying around several different cards to fulfil different purposes, and provides access to a range of University facilities including entry to UCD residences and the library, and it is also used as a time and attendance card, as an electronic payment device for food in the main restaurant, the laundry and for print, copy, and scanning in the on campus CopiPrint facility.
Since most access related information is kept encrypted on the UCARD's, the wall readers are able to update and receive information from the cards at any time. So not only is the system easy to use, but it provides 90% of the benefits of a fully on line access control system at the cost of a standalone system.
The cards build up 'on-card' audit trails through normal use giving UCD complete control over access and enabling the movement of students, staff and visitors to and within the Student Learning Leisure and Sports Facility (SLLS) to be monitored 24/7 as well as controlling who can access what, where and when at all times.
The cards can also be programmed to allow access to specific rooms or areas within the SLLS building for selected periods only, with the doors auto locking at pre-specified times as required. And if key security is breached due to the loss or theft of a UCARD, it can be instantly deleted without the need or cost of rekeying or changing locks – saving the University time and money.
Grace Connolly, Assistant Manager UCD Sports and Fitness Centre, says "We take the safety and security of students and staff very seriously and we are very pleased with the SALTO system installed for us by Doorware. Our new Student Learning Leisure and Sports facility (SLLS) is a world class facility and we wanted a world class security solution to handle its access control requirements. As SALTO is already used to control access to our on campus student accommodation it seemed the perfect choice as it is future proof enabling it to grow with us as our security needs expand."
For further information please visit www.saltosystems.com