HARDWARE
The future of property
management, today
GSM-based intercoms and access systems streamline
the administrative burden of property or block
management significantly, helping you manage
multiple properties and numerous resident needs
all from one location, and importantly, from a safe
distance in these current COVID-19 times.
» AS THE INDUSTRY LOOKS TO
digitalise and streamline operations,
technology-driven property access solutions
are quickly becoming essential in the
management toolbox – not just due to the
current global situation, but also for the many
standalone benefits they can bring in terms
of efficiencies and customer experience. By
reducing time spent on-site, maintenance and
administrative burden, and providing boosted
security and convenience, GSM technology
(Global System for Mobile Communications)
makes block management as intuitive, easy
and fast as possible. It’s a simple solution to an
age-old problem – that of how to fit more into
your day.
STREAMLINING PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT WITH INTRATONE
Transitioning from analogue processes
to digital is universally acknowledged
as an effective way of improving both
operational and cost efficiencies. The property
management sector is one area in particular
which could reap significant benefits by
implementing more digital ways of working.
By harnessing some accessible technologies,
including GSM – which was originally created
for mobile communications, and applying
them to block management, the switch to
digital is straightforward, without the need
for significant investment in infrastructure or
added resources. Plus, with social distancing
measures still in place in the UK at the time
of writing, working remotely is not merely
an option but a necessity for many of us.
Technologies that not only facilitate this
remote working, but enhance it too – bringing
time and cost savings for example – can
truly drive the property management sector
forward.
WHAT IS GSM TECHNOLOGY?
GSM, or the Global System for Mobile
Communications, isn’t in itself a new
technology. A digital cellular technology that
transmits data such as voice and video streams
to other devices, it is the foundation for
mobile phone data networks, allowing users
to both make and receive calls. In fact, nearly
80% of mobile phone users across the globe
already use GSM as their primary network for
placing wireless calls.
What is new, and potentially revolutionary
for our industry, however, is how GSM
technology can also be used in a wide range
of other applications – seemingly unrelated
to telecommunications. The property
management sector is one such example,
with the latest smart intercom and door
access control systems designed around this
very technology. As a completely wireless,
digital system, this makes plastic handsets and
traditional wired access devices redundant,
yet allows residents the convenience of
answering the door via their own smartphone
or tablet, and permits property professionals
to update key fob data and grant building
access remotely too.
THE INNER WORKINGS OF GSM
Several existing technologies allow devices
to connect remotely and allow for data transfer
between machines – from RFID and Bluetooth,
to GSM, WiFi and satellites, each method has
its own merits for specific applications. Using
Time Division Multiple Access technology, or
TDMA, GSM works by assigning time slots
to multiple conversation streams, alternating
them in sequence and switching between
each conversation in very short intervals.
During these intervals, devices can transmit
compressed, digitised information from one
to the other – such as a call from a contractor
who is seeking to access your property. In
order for the network to know which users
are connected, each device uses a Subscriber
Identification Module card – or a SIM card.
By linking multiple systems together, GSM
allows both telecommunication and remote
control across several units – with extensive
global coverage. In this way, GSM technology
can be harnessed for property access control
systems for quick and easy communication,
automatic updates and as a cost-effective
alternative to traditional hardware-based,
wired systems.
50 » AUG 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM