Safe installations are paramount at any time , but making them as safe as possible now for all parties – installers , housing professionals and residents – cannot be overstated . Installers have to balance setting up building access control devices in a safe , socially distanced way , while also providing an efficient , high quality service . Fortunately , help is at hand via innovative wireless access control devices .

Changing times

The emergence of wireless access control technology is part of a broader digital shift in the housing industry . Not a new trend by any means , but one that has undoubtedly been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic as both housing professionals and

residents alike seek easy to use , intuitive and technology-driven solutions , that make their lives easier and keep buildings secure . From an access control perspective , this has resulted in less user-friendly options such as old mechanical lock and key access systems , and traditional wired intercoms with clunky plastic handsets falling out of favour . When these heightened customer expectations are coupled with the current social distancing and safety considerations of the pandemic , wireless devices present the ideal solution for installers .

Making connections

Wireless access control devices work through GSM , namely the Global Systems for Mobile Communications – a digital cellular technology that transmits data

such as voice and video to other devices . By using Subscriber Identification Module cards (‘ SIM ’ cards ), intercoms can be transformed into wireless devices , able to connect users across a network at an unlimited range . For residents , this is great news : they can quickly and easily grant property access via their own smartphone or tablet . Building security is also enhanced through optional video cameras for residents to view visitors before granting entry .

Take our new intercom , the DD-02 , for example , which is the latest in Intratone ’ s range of GSM-based wireless access control systems . Created specifically for affordable housing , the DD-02 intercom includes accessibility features such as an integrated backlit braille keypad and audio induction loop , and residents are given even more control over granting access via a pinhole video camera .

GSM-based wireless access control systems also pay dividends for housing managers too as the intercoms are connected to secure online property management systems . This makes access control processes and management achievable remotely via their laptop , tablet or smartphone , whether working from home or the office . Making changes to resident access , adding new users to the building , and granting entry to installers and external contractors can all be completed without the need to be on-site .

Safety first

It ’ s not just residents and housing managers , however , who reap the benefits of wireless GSMbased intercoms . These devices have no individual handsets or cables , so installations can be carried out without the need to enter buildings at all . They can be set-up safely , with minimal hassle , and without disturbing residents , making them ideal for socially distanced installations .

New ways of working

These safer working practices have already been put to the test during the UK ’ s first national lockdown . HMS Property Management , for example , installed a new wireless Intratone access control system to replace outdated wired intercoms at its Latitude Apartments in Stoke Newington . Although the installation of the new system coincided with the introduction of lockdown in March 2020 , it was safely fitted over the course of just a week with minimal resident disturbance – all thanks for the devices ’ wireless and handset-free credentials .

The wireless system was well received by tenants , and Sean Eckton , Director at HMS Property

Management , described the new system – including the devices ’ connection to Intratone ’ s secure online property management portal – as a ‘ game-changer ’: “ During lockdown , I was able to modify resident details quickly and easily when new tenants moved in , or when existing residents left the property . I can delete phone numbers or add them to the system without any hassle at all , and these processes take less than 30 seconds on my computer – with just a few clicks .”

For 2021 – and the future

By harnessing the power of GSM-based wireless intercoms , installers are not only embracing a solution that is fast becoming the go-to access control choice for Housing Associations and private property management providers , they are also providing their teams with safer installations , while responding to an overall shift towards more intuitive , technology-driven access control .

Find out about Intratone ’ s brand-new DD-02 intercom , and our suite of GSM-powered access control systems , at www . intratone . uk . com .