In the multifamily housing market, maximizing the resident experience is pivotal to a community’s success. Tech is revolutionizing the way multifamily operators evaluate, plan for and deploy access control. Building owners and managers should prepare for the new era of keyless, mobile-ready, technologically advanced and significantly more secure solutions that are now available to the multi-residential market.
The risks and expenses involved with keys are plainly obvious. Traditional metal keys were designed to be easily copied by a facility manager or locksmith. Today, anyone can walk into a home improvement store or go on the Internet and copy a physical key—even through a simple photo. By adopting modern access control systems, buildings can operate more securely, residents will feel safer, and management can increase productivity. They can also significantly improve the bottom line.
Future Innovations and a Commitment to Multifamily Housing
Many property management firms face the challenge of servicing and maintaining disparate locking systems running on outdated software platforms across their portfolio, this often comes with exorbitant costs and logistical headaches. Retrofitting buildings with next-generation access technology can streamline operations, simplify building and facilities management and significantly reduce expenses—often in a shorter payback time than expected. It’s not a simple rip-and-replace proposition though. When planning or undertaking a retrofit project for an existing property, consideration must be given to integrating the access systems with the existing property management platform along with any third-party systems—this is crucial to the project’s success.
Over the last five years, there have been massive investments made in the proptech market—electronic access control included. Across Canada, many people already use the digital wallets and apps on their smartphones to buy groceries, order food or book a ride. Now they can use them to access their apartment units.
Introducing Salto’s DBolt Touch
Earlier this year, Salto launched the Salto DBolt, a product designed and purpose-built for the multifamily industry to serve as a viable replacement to the age-old standard—the mechanical deadbolt. The Salto DBolt is a simple 1-for-1 replacement for existing deadbolt locks; it installs in minutes using the same hole and requires no wiring. This means it is incredibly easy and quick to retrofit all or portions of a property, and it offers infinitely greater control over access.
Operating on Salto’s proprietary SVN (Salto Virtual Network) technology, the SVN allows locks to communicate through user credentials such as key cards, key fobs, or smartphones. This proprietary “Data-on-Card” approach means there is no need for the individual locks to be connected to the internet, since information is transferred through the access credential rather than the lock itself. This innovative approach reduces the need for expensive and disruptive installations, making it easier for property managers to upgrade their buildings.
SVN allows the lock to communicate through a user’s credential. “Users take information to the lock on the memory of their credential, whether it’s a key card, a key fob or their phone,” explains Preston Grutzmacher, Residential Business Leader for Salto North America. “What this means for retrofits, is there’s no need to incur the expense of a wireless infrastructure gateway. For a Salto retrofit, we simply have one of our Authorized Business Partners go in, take out the old deadbolts and install the new DBolt locks. The installation is complete, and there’s almost no disruption.”
Sometimes retrofit building systems or hardware can look forced, like an afterthought, or worse, the cover up of a previous mistake. Salto’s product design team understands the importance of branding and design in multifamily marketing, which helps properties differentiate within their markets. With a sleek design and multiple finish options, which fit into both classic and contemporary design schemes, the DBolt easily blends with the look, feel and character of most apartment communities.
Introducing a product like the DBolt to residents who have been living with antiquated deadbolts and mechanical keys can go a long way to increasing resident satisfaction and retention rates. Offering modern access control that enhances both their security and convenience, creates a more seamless living experience. Additionally, advanced features allow residents to send temporary access credentials to their visitors, deliveries and services providers. Residents can easily monitor entries to their residence via a mobile application, further enhancing their sense of security and control.
With a focus on seamless integrations and future-proof technology, Salto has created a new standard for property management in the multifamily housing market. “The goal is to let people in—in a safer, more convenient and smarter way” says Grutzmacher.
Seamless Integration with Property Management Systems
From the main entrance, to stairwells, garages, or elevators, as users move throughout a building they’re tapping various locks for entry. Each time they tap, the credential exchanges information with that lock. When they access a wired reader, all events which have been collected on the credential are updated to give a true audit statement of the user’s movements.
“Information is stored on a credential’s memory, similar to using a USB thumb drive,” says Grutzmacher. “The next time I use it at a wired access control point—say, the main entry at the elevators or the garage—it doesn’t just transfer information about that one event, it exchanges information about every access event you initiated and every access event that any other user who accessed those locks attempted. The wired access control points update not just secure access, but also update memory credentials and bring memory from locks.”
Salto’s can also integrate resident data from PMS systems, automating move-ins and move-outs, significantly reducing administrative workload. “In an apartment, one of the most important things is to integrate into their existing property management systems,” he says. “Through either Salto Tech partners or through our platforms, we can pull resident data from property management systems—tools that property managers are using every day—to completely automate resident moves in and out.”
Diverse Hardware for Varied Needs
Salto offers a wide range of smart locking hardware to accommodate every access point and meet a variety of different use cases within a multifamily building. From weather-resistant locks for pool gates to high-usage locks for main entrances, Salto’s diverse portfolio ensures that each access point is appropriately secured. Most locks operate on off-the-shelf batteries, supporting between 50,000 to 120,000 access cycles, equating to several years of operation before needing a battery replacement.
The company has also introduced Salto Homelok, a cloud-based all-in-one access solution custom-designed for the residential and multifamily market. With Homelok, property managers can easily facilitate access to every door and access point in the entire community from an intuitive, user-friendly interface, and monitor systems live on a 24/7 basis.
Also from Salto is the enigmatic and futuristic lock system known as Salto’s Ælement Fusion. With an extreme minimalistic aesthetic, the Salto Ælement Fusion is the “pinnacle” of Class A luxury living.
Salto continues to champion innovative-thinking and is a leader in access control technology, offering unparalleled convenience and security. The future is ready to unlock. To learn how your building can benefit, visit saltosystems.ca
WATCH: Preston Grutzmacher of Salto North America’s interview with REMI Network’s ‘Industry insights’
