When I talk with folks about key management, one of the first things they sometimes ask is "Why would anyone need to manage keys in today’s world of electronic access control?" Or, other times they might ask me "Why don't you go see the major hotel chains and prestigious hotel properties about managing their room keys?" These are both good questions, each needs a seperate answer.
Key management is a critical part of today's modern access control systems, as a complement to the familiar door card readers and electronic strikes. The typical enter
prise access control system (e.e. by Lenel or Softwarehouse to name just two) typically covers "most but not all" of the doors and access points within a building or campus. So we need to supplement that system with an electronic key management system. Why aren't all the doors covered by access control? Typically cost is a big reason. It costs several thousand dollars to equip an average commercial property door with electronic access control. Today's key management systems (i.e.; proxSafe by Deister Electronics USA) can be an integrated part of the system, yet will protect many lesser used or special area keys/doors for about $100 per door or set of keys. I will cover more of this subject in a future section. For now, you might check out a recent article in Security Products magazine: Who Has The Keys?/
Now to address the issue of may management at hotels and resorts. Yes, they need to manage lots of keys. But not the way you might think. The pass cards (mag stripe cards most often) that hotels give to guests for room access do not need to be managed. The access to rooms is added or removed from any given pass card within seconds by the hotel's hospitality management system. So if a key is lost, or ends up in the wrong hands, or if a guest forgets to return it, there is no concern.
However, hotels and resorts do have large numbers of keys to special rooms, closets, supply areas, conference centers, etc., which do need to be managed. The old system was a manual one (sign out the key, sign it in when you return). This system is prone to many errors, misuse, and is very costly in case of lost keys. Sophisticated modern hotel facility securit
y systems today always include an electronic key management system. Maintenance folks who are only allowed to hold certain keys (master keys in some cases) during certain hours can be monitored and managed in this way using a good computerized key control system. Reports and alarms are generated for exceptions (keys out late, not returned, etc.) and all of the information and access settings are managed via the web. I have personally talked with a number of hospitality industry professionals who manage keys in this manner, or who intend to implement such a system very soon.
Please stay tuned to this blog for future posts on hotel safety and security as well as electronic management of keys and small assets.
Key management is a critical part of today's modern access control systems, as a complement to the familiar door card readers and electronic strikes. The typical enter
prise access control system (e.e. by Lenel or Softwarehouse to name just two) typically covers "most but not all" of the doors and access points within a building or campus. So we need to supplement that system with an electronic key management system. Why aren't all the doors covered by access control? Typically cost is a big reason. It costs several thousand dollars to equip an average commercial property door with electronic access control. Today's key management systems (i.e.; proxSafe by Deister Electronics USA) can be an integrated part of the system, yet will protect many lesser used or special area keys/doors for about $100 per door or set of keys. I will cover more of this subject in a future section. For now, you might check out a recent article in Security Products magazine: Who Has The Keys?/Now to address the issue of may management at hotels and resorts. Yes, they need to manage lots of keys. But not the way you might think. The pass cards (mag stripe cards most often) that hotels give to guests for room access do not need to be managed. The access to rooms is added or removed from any given pass card within seconds by the hotel's hospitality management system. So if a key is lost, or ends up in the wrong hands, or if a guest forgets to return it, there is no concern.
However, hotels and resorts do have large numbers of keys to special rooms, closets, supply areas, conference centers, etc., which do need to be managed. The old system was a manual one (sign out the key, sign it in when you return). This system is prone to many errors, misuse, and is very costly in case of lost keys. Sophisticated modern hotel facility securit
y systems today always include an electronic key management system. Maintenance folks who are only allowed to hold certain keys (master keys in some cases) during certain hours can be monitored and managed in this way using a good computerized key control system. Reports and alarms are generated for exceptions (keys out late, not returned, etc.) and all of the information and access settings are managed via the web. I have personally talked with a number of hospitality industry professionals who manage keys in this manner, or who intend to implement such a system very soon.Please stay tuned to this blog for future posts on hotel safety and security as well as electronic management of keys and small assets.
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