Smart Access Enables Smart Cities

Ability to access needed spaces securely, conveniently and seamlessly is not just a matter of security. It is also a building block for smart spaces to grow into smart buildings, smart blocks and smart cities.

Smart Buildings are already here. Good examples of buildings where access is both secure and convenient are Kiasma and LAMK (Lahti University of Applied Sciences).

For Kiasma, a contemporary museum of art in Helsinki, it is important to be able to guide the flows of people viewing exhibitions. Securing historical pieces for future generations requires solutions that are capable of enabling integrations with different systems. Therefore, the solution today has to be future-proof.

As another example, in LAMK the students and employees have 24/7 access to the campus and even the machines such as saws and laboratories are part of the digital access control. The ability to integrate systems with each other and collaboration between solution providers is the key in building smart entities. This enables students and faculty to work and study when it best suits their individual needs.

You can find more information about these examples from our web pages https://www.abloy.fi/fi/abloy/abloyfi/asiakastarinat/ (in Finnish).

However, Smart Cities are not only about public or commercial spaces, but also in residential side. Good example of how access can work miracles for maintenance is Brahe 1. Getting rid of multiple keys and having only one electric PULSE-key instead has removed an unnecessary step and made maintenance more efficient and secure.

New ways of managing and allowing accesses facilitates also new business models. Being able to share and request flexible accesses, different persons, groups and companies can utilize both public and commercial spaces in new ways. Another example is the ability to give accesses to homes, which makes it possible for service providers to literally bring services in home – even if the resident is not there.

In the end, all boils down into collaboration. If you are interested in hearing more, come meet us at SmartCity & Buildings 2019 or ping us in LinkedIn!

Julia Jääskeläinen, Concept Owner for Residential Segment, Abloy