Securing Schools, Hotels, and MDUs with IoT Smart Locks

Increasingly, it is becoming challenging for schools, hotels, and multi-dwelling units (MDUs) to secure buildings and campuses. To ensure a secure workplace for staff – as well as protect students, residents, and visitors – schools, hotels, and MDUs are all steadily replacing standard door locks with IoT smart lock solutions. Let’s explore this critical trend in more detail below.

Schools/Universities

From 2013 to 2018, Everytown Research identified 405 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in the United States. In response to concerns of school violence, schools are testing smart locks to implement school-wide lockdowns during an active shooter drill. Additionally, smart locks are enabling schools and universities to make efficient use of limited staff and resources by automatically unlocking and locking doors before, during, and after events.

Hospitality

Smart locks help protect guests and their valuables when key cards are lost or stolen. Smart locks can also be configured to alert staff and security personnel when a door is accidentally left open. Perhaps most importantly, smart locks alert staff and security personnel when single or repeated unauthorized entry attempts are detected. Smart locks are also deployed in hotels to automatically lock and unlock swimming pools, exercise rooms, conference rooms, ballrooms, and maintenance closets.   

MDUs

Owner and operators of multi-dwelling units and apartment complexes are deploying smart locks to ensure smoother building automation, enhance tenant safety and lower insurance costs. This is achieved by monitoring open doors and tracking unauthorized entry attempts. Smart locks also allow staff to efficiently “rekey” units, floors, and even entire buildings.  

Smart Lock Solutions: Deployment Challenges Many organizations quickly find themselves bogged down in IoT complexity when deploying smart door locks. This is because IoT applications are still highly fragmented, as they rely on multiple wireless connectivity protocols. Wireless door locks, for example, might use Zigbee, while online thermostats run over standard Wi-Fi and panic buttons may use yet another IoT protocol such as Bluetooth^® Low Energy. Even if organizations recognize the true value of each IoT solution, they are often reluctant to deploy, maintain and support multiple separate wireless networks.

The Ruckus IoT Smart Door Lock Solution

To bolster security and safety across multiple verticals, Ruckus Networks (now part of CommScope via acquisition) and various industry leaders are joining forces to make smart door locks and other IoT applications easier and more cost-effective to deploy. More specifically, Ruckus, along with our global connected entry ecosystem partners, is offering a fully integrated, easy-to-manage smart IoT wireless door lock solution. With the combined solution, IT administrators can use state-of-the-art IoT connected door locks to make their organization’s security easier to manage, more convenient, and more cost-effective. Enterprises reduce costs and complexity by deploying wireless locks without having to build separate networks for Wi-Fi and IoT services. Once the solution is in place, they can use the same Ruckus IoT Suite to connect a wide range of other IoT devices and services, all running on the same consolidated network. Suddenly, it becomes much simpler and less expensive to deploy new IoT infrastructure and improve overall student, guest, and employee safety.

Our complete solution includes Ruckus IoT-ready Wi-Fi access points (APs), Ruckus IoT modules and controller, Ruckus SmartZone network controller, smart door locks and Ruckus ICX switches. Key features and benefits include:

• Safety: Smart door locks are remotely monitored, locked, unlocked, and reprogrammed in real-time during a security incident.
• Convenience: Guest and staff reprogram key cards remotely—no trip to IT is required.
• Robust school security: Staff and security are alerted to forced entry attempts. Dropped or lost key cards are instantly and remotely disabled.
• Staff mobile access: Connected locks support remote keyless and cardless entry options.

Although deploying smart locks across a property may seem challenging, it is essential to understand that improving safety and bolstering security doesn’t have to mean high costs and technical complexity. Ruckus Networks and our connected entry ecosystem partners make IoT smart door locks and other related services simple and cost-effective to implement.

Contact us today to learn more.

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