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| SALTO’s card-based electronic access control system secures some 100 doors |
Discovering you can do so much more with what you already have is something Barcelona's Conservatori del Liceu has just put into practice with the successful integration of its SALTO smart access control system and the ASIMUT scheduling, room booking and event management software for schools of music and performing arts.
The Conservatori del Liceu, located in a modern seven storey building in the heart of the city, between Las Ramblas and Parallel, is Spain’s most important Conservatory for Music Studies including opera, jazz and classical performance and composition and music pedagogy.
The five above ground floors of the building incorporate 90 soundproofed classrooms for music teaching. On the top floor there is a library, with capacity for 70 people, where students can access musical scores, books, dictionaries, magazines, etc. These are supplemented by two underground floors that host a chamber music room, orchestra room and a concert hall that can seat 400 people.
ASIMUT - Information And Planning System
To facilitate the smooth running of classes and ensure students, teachers and professors are in the right classroom at the right time, the Conservatori uses ASIMUT.
Originally conceived at The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, ASIMUT is an online information and planning system tailor-made for schools of music and performing arts.
It is a web application which means you can access it on internet from any computer, tablet or even smart phone. It is so simple that students and professors start to use it without any introduction and, yet flexible and powerful enough to handle complex timetabling and planning of a large music academy.
ASIMUT has proven its worth by years of successful use at the best schools of music and performing arts in the world.
SALTO XS4 Access Control Platform
Although a modern building, the Conservatori was using mechanical keys to lock doors and control security. But key control in a building with so many students, teachers, professors, administration staff and others can be difficult, if not impossible to achieve. Keys can be easily lost or duplicated and keeping track of who has what key and where they have been with it is near impossible as they can’t give you user level access control, nor provide users with a log of every entry and exit.
The XS4 online wireless solution delivers real-time high level security with all the convenience of battery operated access control |
Recognizing the inherent limitations and insecurity of this, the Conservatori decided to upgrade security and replace its mechanical keyed system with a contactless card based electronic access control solution. This would eliminate keys and could be used with all doors – not just perimeter doors - while providing a wide range of additional benefits that could grow with the building’s future needs as required.
The solution chosen was SALTO’s state-of-the-art online wireless XS4 platform. This features SALTO’s unique data-on-card technology, and now successfully secures some 100 doors throughout the building.
Electronic Access Control System Integration
With classes being booked through the ASIMUT software and electronic locking controlled through the SALTO software, one day someone at the Conservatori thought “Instead of running these systems independently, wouldn’t it be great if we could get both products to talk to each other and control everything through one front end interface. Could both systems be integrated?”
Lander Perez, SALTO’s Business Development Manager Integrated Solutions, says “Actually this is quite a common request that we receive from end users around the world. SALTO has many integration agreements in place with international companies like Honeywell and Siemens to name but two, as well as with building management systems like Micros Fidelio.”
Tying the two systems together makes perfect sense as it allows students to now book a class through the ASIMUT system and then automatically be given permission to open the SALTO controlled door of the classroom they have booked.
"The integration of SALTO’s advanced access control technology with the ASIMUT booking system provides unrivalled versatility for the customer", says Jennifer Stack, Vice President Marketing SALTO Systems |
Being a wireless system, if the student makes a booking but for whatever reason does not go to the class at the appointed time, after 15 minutes a cancelation notification is automatically sent to the lock of that classroom and a penalty system is triggered and the card access for that student is canceled. The student then has to go to an administration point to get their card revalidated and explain why they never showed up for class!
XS4 Delivers High-Level Security
Through the installation and subsequent integration of both systems, the Conservatori del Liceu now has a reliable and effective solution for achieving its class booking and security needs. The solution is proving successful and the effectiveness of both platforms is helping to deliver impressive results in both productivity and security.
The XS4 online wireless solution delivers real-time high level security with all the convenience of battery operated access control, and limits access to restricted areas and permits only authorized personnel to enter.
It is the perfect choice for applications that need a system with low power consumption, providing online control without any need to hard wire. Gateways are connected by Ethernet/WIFI to the controlling PC and repeaters then positioned in pre-defined wireless zones. The system is then set up and it is ready to go. The battery powered escutcheons configure themselves automatically through their SALTO software and then use their built-in low power (2.4Ghz) radio transceivers to communicate with the gateways to create a real-time wireless access control network which can, as in this case, be integrated to work seamlessly with other solution providers.
Security And Productivity - Seamless Integration
Mads Paldam the CEO of ASIMUT software says “This is an interesting project that has delivered impressive results so far. The whole integration process between our two very different products was challenging but both ASIMUT and SALTO have been able to give the Conservatori del Liceu exactly what they need, ease of use and capability, helping them get the maximum benefit from both technologies.”
Jennifer Stack, Vice President Marketing SALTO Systems, agrees: “The integration of SALTO’s advanced access control technology with the ASIMUT booking system provides unrivalled versatility for the customer. We are great believers in delivering ‘best-in-class’ solutions. This integration partnership between SALTO, ASIMUT and the Conservatori del Liceu fits that strategy perfectly.”
