Installation, operation and expansion: Electronic access control has costs attached to every stage of its lifetime. For most users, the benefits over mechanical locking outweigh these costs. With wireless locking, the benefits outweigh these costs even further.

Installation is where it all begins. The nstallation stage is also the largest contributor to the potential cost saving in choosing wireless. In calculations for a recent cost savings report, Assa Abloy experts examined likely costs of a 100-door installation. Labour cost savings for those who chose wireless versus wired locks were a staggering 82.5%.

Wireless installation is much faster - and it is also less intrusive. Leading wireless locks require little or no drilling around the door, whereas wired access control needs cabling through and partly around the door. You can upgrade building security without inconveniencing your staff or disturbing everyday work routines.

Energy savings
According to the Harvard Business Review, energy efficiency has become one of the “key levers for business success”. Battery powered wireless locks use less energy than traditional wired locks, which normally work via magnets connected permanently to electricity. Wireless locks work differently. They only “wake up” when presented with a credential for which they must make an access decision. This translates into another potentially large saving on an annual energy budget.

Other related energy and material costs are also lower for wireless locks. During operation, wireless locks require just a battery change — approximately once every two years. Wireless locks also provide more flexibility and can reduce costs when users reconfigure or expand their office spaces. High-quality wireless locks can typically be reinstalled at another door without impacting their reliability. They can be moved to wherever is convenient.

Cost-saving wireless locks
Assa Abloy's Aperio wireless locks aim to save money at every stage of their life-cycle. Battery-powered RFID-equipped cylinders, escutcheons, handles and locks can be fitted as a new access control system or extend an existing installation by linking new doors to the same system wirelessly. There is no need for staff to swap their key-cards, nor for anyone to carry more than one credential. They work seamlessly within almost every major access control system on the market, from over 100 different manufacturers. One control panel manages everything — Aperio and legacy locks.

The installion process is quick because there is no cabling around the door, no invasive building work, and no need to change door hardware. The Aperio devices fit almost any opening or security level, exterior and interior doors — wood, glass or aluminium — from fire and escape doors to meeting rooms, labs and offices.