ABLOY Access Controllers

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has made us all more conscious of who is coming and going from our property. Whether it is a family home, business premises or public building, property owners want full control over access for protection and peace of mind. As a provider of access control technologies, we are seeing a growing demand for automated gates with a variety of access control systems. There are a number of considerations that buyers need to make when investing. And as an installer, there is advice that you can offer to help your clients make the right choice for their property. Here are some of the key considerations you’ll need to make and discuss with your client. Whomever you buy from, you should be offered more than a simple instruction manual. Electronic locks, magnetic locks and code security In the first instance, you’ll need to advise on the type of lock and access control available. Electronic locks release on the operation of the automation system to allow the gates to open. Locks are required for all non-locking (also known as reversible) operators and are recommended for any gate on a multi-user site or any gate over 2.5m. Apply the same logic to an automated gate as you would to a domestic door – for example, you wouldn’t fit your front door with a lock on the same side as the hinges or a drop bolt at the hinge end of a manual gate so why dispense with this logic when the gate is automated? Electronic locks release on the operation of the automation system to allow the gates to open There are a number of locks on the market including magnetic locks, drop locks that “shoot” a bolt into the ground and side latching locks. These are all designed for external use. While the gate itself will provide physical security, the customer will want to feel in control of who enters their property, when and for what purpose. Consider access for mail and deliveries, waste disposal and visitors arriving on foot etc. There is a range of options available. Intercom systems will allow the user to vet visitors, keypad entry can allow remote access for visitors with a specific code, remote controls allow an oncoming driver to open the gates without getting out of the vehicle, and a timer control can be used to open or close the gates at certain times of the day. Vehicle detection loops can be installed discreetly under the tarmac allowing the presence of vehicles to exit the gates and prevent closing while obstructed. Sliding gates versus swinging gates There are a number of locks on the market including magnetic locks, drop locks that “shoot” a bolt into the ground and side latching locks Gates can be automated to either swing or to slide open and in the case of swinging gates, the opener may be concealed underground or gate mounted. The most suitable opener for your installation will depend on the space available and the type of gate selected. Concealed underground automation is ideal for highly ornate gates. However, where gates are fully infilled (typical of many timber designs), gate mounted openers are concealed from the front of the gate by the gate leaf and present a cost-effective option. The choice between slide and swing is largely down to space - swing gates require a clear space for their opening arc while sliding gates require space to one or both sides of the gate. Sliding gates are perhaps the best choice where the drive slopes or when drive space is limited, as they use the least space when opening. Voltage Most swing gate and sliding systems are available in 24v or 230v. The 24v systems still need 230v mains power – there is a transformer built into the 24v control panels. Deciding which voltage to use can include a combination of factors such as the material of the gates, the location of the system and the safety features you want. Concealed underground automation is ideal for highly ornate gates With wrought iron gates, the wind can pass through them whereas with fully boarded wooden gates (popular because they give full privacy) the wind has nowhere to go, so they act like sails. For commercial or industrial applications with larger entrances and a heavy gate, you may need 3 Phase 400v power (sliding gates only). Installing gate motors in confined spaces The environment in which you are fitting may well influence which gate and motor you recommend. Will it be in an exposed area which is subject to the elements? Will it be positioned on a slope? Sliding gates are perhaps the best choice where the drive slopes or when drive space is limited Installers have always faced the challenge of installing gate motors in confined spaces. When fitting a pedestrian gate, there is often limited space in which to work – potentially making an installation time consuming and technically demanding. If this is the case for you, consider a gate operator which is designed specifically for installations with limited space for maneuver. An example of this is the E5 compact gate operator. The operator is not only small but has an optional slide lever attachment designed for installations where there is extremely limited space, meaning that just 8cm of the pillar is needed for installation. What’s more, improved fixing points and a simple ‘hook and fasten’ process means assembly is safe, quick and straight forward. Ultimately, you’ll be looking for a good quality, reliable product with good service. Work with a supplier that offers more than just a manual. If they are happy to offer training, their time and advice when you buy, the chances are you’ll get their support long term.

The unprecedented global impact of COVID-19 has taken its toll on all of us, but as cases of the virus thankfully recede, employers are now forced to confront how they can enable a safe return to work for employees. For many employers, this means they will have to carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, redesign workspaces to maintain social distances, carry out more frequent cleaning, manage the transmission risk and find alternatives to touch-based security devices. Protecting workplace occupants in any emergency requires preparation and clear communication. This is especially critical in a health crisis involving an infectious disease. These are some of the essential best practices that could help organizations reduce the impact on their employees and operations during this pandemic. 1. Use a visitor management system With a visitor management system, organizations have a single source of real-time and historical insights into who is, or was recently, in the workplace. This is especially important because of the need to perform contact tracing should anyone in the organization show symptoms of COVID-19, meaning everyone they have been in contact with needs to be contacted and asked to isolate. Yet still, first impressions are made at the front desk or lobby, where the visitor experience needs to be a positive one. At the same time, though, any emergency event requires that there be strict control over who is entering the workplace. This policy also needs to be clearly communicated to visitors. Doing this minimizes risk to visitors as well as the workforce. In addition to delivering a high-quality visitor experience, the ideal visitor management system must: Enable organizations to meet regulatory compliance mandates and facilitate check-in at a self-service kiosk to minimize wait times. Customize the visitor experience to support specific security needs, such as accelerating and simplifying check-in or requiring additional security pre-checks. Automate compliance as it relates to visitor access rules with historical visit reports. 2. Pre-check questions at visitor registration kiosks Organizations can strengthen security at the registration kiosk using a flexible, enterprise-grade visitor management system to add visitor sign-in steps. This has proven successful in the past when used to control the spread of infectious disease during an outbreak. An example of this is a U.S. children's hospital which managed to reduce facility infection rates by 25 percent over a two-year period using a commercial, off-the-shelf physical identity and access management (PIAM) solution from HID Global. The solution provides two particularly important capabilities that can be used by organizations to protect their workplace from the uncontrolled spread of an infectious disease: Enhance visitor registration policy with additional mandatory questions to help identify any visitors who may need other screenings. Extend the visitor registration kiosk with a mandatory pop-up asking further questions during visitor check-in. 3. Understand who has visited your workplace Successful controlling the spread of infection throughout a facility requires the ability to automatically maintain an auditable trail of activity. This can be done using an enterprise-grade visitor management system that makes it easy to retrieve historical visit reports. This provides a timeline of who was in the workplace, and when they were there. Key features include: A single dashboard providing useful visitor insights at your fingertips. Historical reports that provide visitor details including location and contact information, all in compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy regulations. 4. Clearly communicate how infection risks can be reduced Global organizations must actively communicate with visitors and employees on the outbreak of infectious diseases and follow best practices outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are several things organizations can do in this area to help maintain a safe and healthy workplace: Re-enforce and communicate WHO best practices with guideline posters in the front lobby and throughout the workplace. Add posters that also encourage regular and thorough washing of hands. Encourage everyone to cough or sneese into their shirt sleeve in their flexed elbow or cover their mouth and nose with a tissue. Encourage everyone to keep a relatively safe distance from each other and use alternatives to handshakes when saying hello. Organizations must contend with a variety of workplace challenges during the outbreak of an infectious disease. These challenges can be solved with best practices that include a comprehensive visitor management system that automates critical check-in policies and maintains an auditable trail of visitor activity.  

Protecting against fire and security risks is an essential aspect of life for people and across all sectors. However, there is an increasing expectation and demand on fire and security providers, in areas such as education. The securitisation of our world paired with the rapid speed of communication and news updates means that young people especially have the potential to be more aware of potential dangers and threats to their own safety and the safety of those around them. Education institutions are large and sometimes sprawling sites that present considerable fire and security challenges. From Kindergartens to Colleges Each education site brings distinct challenges, with differing facilities and specialties, as well as the need to maintain the capacity of students, teachers and lecturers to study, learn and teach at the high level expected.Each education site brings distinct challenges, with differing facilities and specialties While some schools and universities are based in urban areas with a mix of heritage and high rise buildings, others are sprawled across green open spaces. Some of these sites have specialised sporting facilities, while others may be focused on engineering or scientific study, with costly technical equipment. Kindergartens and primary schools have their own unique requirements. Parents expect the highest safety standards, while schools require safety in addition to efficient facilities management. The demographic of these institutions is predominantly young children, who are often unaware of or only just learning about fire safety and personal safety. This creates a huge vulnerability and an added onus on teachers to keep their students safe. Facial recognition at West Academy of Beijing In response to this need, Chubb China upgraded the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) focusing on elevating video content analytic features, including maximised CCTV monitoring, automatic police calling, and a smart search solution. Complementing this, a facial recognition system capable of finding the exact location of a student on campus within 30 seconds was added, aided by real-time remote gate operation. This integrated and advanced system resulted won the "High Quality Educational Technology Suppliers for School" award for the WAB project at the 2019 BEED Asia Future Oriented Construction of Universities and Schools Seminar. This award recognizes outstanding solution design and project execution. Parents expect the highest safety standards, while schools require safety in addition to efficient facilities management Awareness remains important at university As students graduate from kindergarten, primary school, junior and senior school, they become more aware of fire safety, relevant dangers and how to protect themselves. Unfortunately, external dangers remain. There are particularly high stakes for university campus facilities managers The safety of students in a university environment is also critical. It is often the first time young people live away from their family home and have the independence of adulthood. For this reason, there are particularly high stakes for university campus facilities managers. In the eventuality of a fire, students could be at great risk and, beyond the immediacy of physical harm, this can have serious ramifications for the reputation of an educational institution. Integrated solutions Integrated solutions must be nimble and adapted to a range of site types including campus residences, recreational areas, open spaces and lecture theatres. Chubb Sicli recently identified and overcame these challenges through the installation of a full suite of fire safety and security equipment and services at Webster University Geneva. Established in Switzerland in 1978, Webster University Geneva is an accredited American university campus that offers programs in English to students interested in undergraduate or graduate-level education.  Located in the Commune of Bellevue, just a few kilometres from Geneva's central station, the campus of Webster University Geneva includes five buildings in a park-style atmosphere. Full fire and security audit Chubb Sicli provided Webster’s fire extinguisher maintenance for over 25 years. This business relationship led to a full fire and security audit that identified the need for updates to the university’s security installation. The initial audit showed several improvements to the university’s security profile were needed.The challenge was to create and provide an effective and interconnected fire and security solution The challenge was to create and provide an effective and interconnected fire and security solution, enhancing the security of the student population and its ever-evolving needs. This included complete fire detection and intruder alarms for all five buildings, upgrades to existing CCTV systems, new video surveillance equipment and an automated fire extinguishing system in the kitchen areas. In addition to this integrated system solution, Webster University required access control for all main entrances, with the requirement that all documentation to be made available in English, because Webster is an American company. Customized solution Chubb Sicli’s quality, capability, and security expertise provided a customized solution for the unique educational establishment. Not only was the solution both tailored and integrated, the approach and planning were based on audit, fire extinguisher and emergency light maintenance, fire detection, intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance and Fire Detection. Through dedicated and integrated fire safety support, Chubb provides students and families peace of mind and security. From the moment a young child enters the education system, Chubb’s diligent and effective surveillance and fire safety systems work to prevent and protect, offering a new kind of ‘end-to-end’ service for education systems around the world.

The simplified public tender offer launched by ASSA ABLOY on the remaining shares of agta record ag (“agta record”) at the price of 70.58 EUR per share (the “Offer”) opens for a period of ten trading days. The Offer will be followed by the delisting of the agta record shares from Euronext Paris. The French Financial Market Authority (Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”)) has announced that the simplified public tender offer initiated by ASSA ABLOY, via its fully owned subsidiary ASSA ABLOY Euro Holding AB, for the purchase of all of the remaining outstanding shares of agta record, not yet held directly or indirectly by ASSA ABLOY, i.e., 716,153 shares representing 5.37% of the share capital and voting rights of agta record (the “Offer”), opens for a period of 10 trading days. Swiss securities laws This acquisition was announced on 6 March 2019 and completed on 20 August 2020 On 15 September 2020, the AMF issued its clearance to the Offer. The Offer will be open from 17 September 2020 until 30 September 2020 (included) at a price of 70.58 EUR per agta record share. This price corresponds to the adjusted purchase price paid by ASSA ABLOY for the acquisition of a controlling block of 54% of the share capital and voting rights of agta record. This acquisition was announced on 6 March 2019 and completed on 20 August 2020. The Offer will be followed by the delisting from the Euronext Paris stock exchange of the agta record shares shortly following the publication of the results of the Offer (the “Delisting”). No squeeze-out procedure, or equivalent procedure, exists under French securities laws or Swiss securities laws applicable to agta record. Therefore, no such procedure will be implemented following the closing of the Offer. Report prepared by independent expert The Board of Directors of agta record, on the basis of the report prepared by the independent expert, has unanimously decided that the Offer was in the interest of agta record, its employees and shareholders and recommended the shareholders to tender their agta record shares in the Offer. In accordance with article P 1.4.2 of the specific rules applicable to the French regulated markets of Euronext Paris, ASSA ABLOY has committed to acquire for a 6-month period after closing of the Offer, i.e., until 30 March 2021 (included), agta record shares held by minority shareholders who have not tendered their agta record shares during the Offer period at the Offer price, i.e., 70.58 EUR per agta record share. This 6-month period, commencing at the close of the Offer, will not be extended. Swiss law merger procedure Under Swiss law merger procedure, the minority shareholders of agta record would receive a cash only compensation The AMF will publish a notice for the results of the Offer on 1 October 2020. Within a period of no less than 9 to 18 months (this being indicative only) after the closing of the Offer and the Delisting, ASSA ABLOY intends to merge agta record (the absorbed company) into a wholly owned Swiss subsidiary of ASSA ABLOY (the absorbing company) via a merger governed by Swiss law in accordance with the Swiss Merger Act. Under this Swiss law merger procedure, the minority shareholders of agta record would receive a cash only compensation as opposed to shares in the absorbing company. This contemplated Swiss merger would be subject to the approval of at least 90% of all voting rights of agta record as the absorbed company. Offer document ASSA ABLOY Euro Holding AB’s offer document and agta record’s response document, as approved by the AMF on 15 September 2020 under visa no. 20-457 and visa no. 20-458 respectively, as well as documents relating to the other information of each company, are available on the AMF website, and on the websites of ASSA ABLOY or agta record, and can be obtained on request and free of charge from ASSA ABLOY or agta record depending on whether they relate to one or the other company.

ASSA ABLOY, the globally renowned provider of door opening solutions, has collaborated with long-time security partner, LenelS2 to enable mobile access to IP-enabled IN Series access control locks via the LenelS2 BlueDiamond app. Through the app, users can pre-load their most frequented pathways to enjoy streamlined access to doorways, use their phone as a badge even while it remains in a pocket or bag, and utilize voice commands on their smart phone or other connected device to conveniently unlock and open doors. This facilitates enhanced security that helps prevent unauthorized access of information. IN120/IN220 locks integration with ASSA ABLOY access control IN120/IN220 locks work with ASSA ABLOY IP-enabled Access Control Partner software IN120/IN220 locks work with ASSA ABLOY IP-enabled Access Control Partner software, allowing straightforward integration into new or existing access control systems. These system integrations allow for easy changes to access rights, detailed transaction history and other advanced functionality options. “Working together, ASSA ABLOY and LenelS2 are committed to making access to spaces more seamless and convenient without compromising security,” said Joseph Sceviour, Product Manager for ASSA ABLOY’s wireless solutions, adding “We are excited about the flexibility that the BlueDiamond app offers users of IN120 and 220 Series access control locks.” Enhanced access control solution “Further expanding the BlueDiamond ecosystem supports our objective to provide a next-generation, convenient and more secure access control experience,” said Greg Berry, Vice President, Mobile Credentialing, LenelS2, adding “We look forward to bringing this experience to IN120 and 220 users.” IN120 and IN220 are ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 locks available in cylindrical, mortise, multi-point and exit device configurations. They are offered in a wide range of finishes and decorative levers that complement any design style, to serve designers and architects in a variety of vertical markets.

ASSA ABLOY, the global provider in door opening solutions, announces that its popular IP-enabled IN120 and IN220 Series locks are now available with an optional push-button keypad. With it, users can configure locks to support PIN only access or can harness additional security by taking advantage of dual authentication using a contactless credential or mobile device combined with a PIN. With the keypad option, IP-enabled IN Series locks offer commercial, educational, healthcare and government facilities the flexibility to custom configure openings according to different needs, with PIN-only access for lower security doors or two-factor authentication to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to high-security spaces and business systems. Access with PIN As an added benefit, the keypad enables building owners and facility managers to provide a one-time PIN code to grant access to an occupant in the event a key card or mobile device is misplaced. “IN120 and IN220 locks enable building owners to leverage their existing IT infrastructure to add intelligent access control without the cost and complexity of hard-wired systems,” said Joseph Sceviour, product manager for ASSA ABLOY’s wireless solutions. “We are excited about the additional security and flexibility these new keypad options deliver.” The IN Series features multiCLASS SE® and HID Mobile Access technology that stores secure identities on Android or iOS smartphones, enabling them to communicate with readers to open doors and gates. Integration into access control systems IN120/IN220 locks work with ASSA ABLOY IP-enabled Access Control Partner software, allowing straightforward integration into new or existing access control systems. These integrations allow for easy changes to access rights, detailed transaction history and other advanced functionality. IN120 and IN220 are ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 locks available in cylindrical, mortise, multi-point and exit device configurations. They are offered in a wide range of finishes and decorative levers that complement any design style, to serve designers and architects in a variety of vertical markets.