When a leading English university sought electronic locks for its newest student accommodation block, it turned to Aperio to extend its installed Gallagher Command Centre access control system. The University of East Anglia (UEA) has relied on Gallagher access control for a decade. To extend their Gallagher Command Centre system to Crome Court—a student residence with 231 en suite rooms separated into flats for between 8 and 13 postgraduates—they needed the right wireless solution.
UEA’s needs included more than just security, stylish component design and affordability. Crome Court was specifically designed to minimise environmental impact, including CO2 emissions. Any access control system was expected to contribute to that goal. The university chose Aperio wireless locking technology from ASSA ABLOY. Aperio wireless locks are battery powered, and so use much less energy than wired magnetic security locks. They only “wake up” when a credential is presented to the reader.
Installation was quick and easy, aided by training delivered on campus by specialist ASSA ABLOY technicians. Crome Court’s secure doors are fitted with Aperio E100 online escutcheons. Students open them with programmable RFID smart cards, instead of cumbersome mechanical keys. If a key-card is lost, it is straightforward for UEA facilities staff to cancel it and issue a replacement—using a simple web-based interface or mobile phone. There’s no need for expensive and time-consuming work changing the locks.
UEA also aimed to build Crome Court with an environmentally advanced profile. Here, too, Aperio delivered. Wireless locks are battery-operated and emit much less CO2 than wired magnetic locks. In fact, in carbon terms, Aperio locks emit 0.16 percent of the total emissions produced by standard wired locks. Flexibility is another Aperio asset: additional doors can be brought into the same integrated Gallagher system whenever needed. “We hope to roll out Aperio across all new and existing residential estate,” says Christine Beveridge, head of campus services at UEA
