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Stephen Winthrop, diagnosed with ALS in November 2013, and his wife, Jane Williamson, had a new home built with technology that would maximize their home’s utility for someone with his specific form of ALS. The ALS has been advancing slowly, initially affecting his arms. It will likely spread to his legs and other parts of his body. Their house has been equipped to enable Winthrop to control certain features and appliances (e.g., thermostats, doors, lights, TV, etc.) through a computer interface. It’s also built to readily undergo modifications as Winthrop’s ALS progresses. In the future, he will be able to use his voice or eye movement alone to control features through a server that electronically connects a tablet computer with myriad electrical features throughout the home.

The Guest House at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, was facing issues with its magnetic stripe keycard locks. The keycards often became demagnetized, leading to lockouts. As the front desk isn't staffed 24/7, an on-call employee had to issue new keycards to locked-out guests. This was causing inconvenience to the guests and was also time-consuming for the staff. The management was looking for a solution that could eliminate the need for keys and cards and reduce the time spent on access control management.

Sandpiper Cove, a resort located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, needed to upgrade their locks with modern technology that provided their guests with greater convenience. They desired locks that could endure blowing sand and extreme weather conditions for years to come, while keeping pace with the demand for digitization in the evolving vacation rental market. Being one of the first resorts in Destin, Sandpiper Cove sought a smart stay solution that would appeal to a wider demographic and simplify the day-to-day management.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has grown into one of the most valuable and most recognized sports franchises in the world. With its rise in popularity, the need for a greater focus on security became apparent. A key challenge UFC faced was to ensure staff security with a control system designed to eliminate unauthorized access to and throughout its offices and facilities. While UFC’s office facility had an access control system in place, it was inadequate and did not offer the extensive functionality and versatility of a premium access control system. There were considerable reliability concerns.

Galloway Ridge, a senior living community in North Carolina, was looking to enhance the security of its housing units during the construction of Phase II of its facilities. The management wanted an access control system with advanced technology to resolve key control and security issues. They were particularly interested in a system that could provide an audit trail capability, potential maintenance cost reductions, and credential options, as well as convenience for the residents. However, a significant challenge was that the new system needed to interface with Galloway Ridge’s existing perimeter door system.

The new AC Hotel Belfast by Marriott, a £25 million-pound investment by owners Belfast Harbour, required high-quality access solutions for its 188 guest bedrooms. The hotel, which is among the city’s largest, needed locks that could provide enhanced security and superior guest experience. The hotel also required a pitch-free pivoting system for its toughened glass doors to ensure optimum safety by preventing the risk of trapped fingers.

The rise of smartphones has led to a shift in consumer behavior, with users increasingly expecting to be able to perform a wide range of tasks on their mobile devices. This includes checking into hotels, a process that traditionally requires physical interaction with hotel staff. Village Hotels, a UK-based hotel chain with 28 locations, recognized the need to adapt to this changing landscape and sought a solution that would allow guests to check in using their smartphones. The challenge was to implement a system that was secure, reliable, and user-friendly, enhancing the guest experience while also streamlining operations for the hotel.

Logix Federal Credit Union in California was facing a challenge with their traditional code management system. The system required codes to be sealed in an envelope and sent to the credit union’s headquarters. If an employee needed to float between branches, he or she would need codes for multiple branches. When an employee left, the lock had to be manually reprogrammed by a locksmith to remove the employee’s code. This process was not only costly but also decreased the level of security as codes were inactive in a lock that no longer had an employee assigned to it. Logix outlined several opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce cost. These included reducing service and locksmith charges, removing lock user management from the individual branch managers, allowing more users per lock in each location, and centralizing lock management with the Logix Security Team.

Rhapsody Property Management Services, a premier multifamily property management firm in Canada, was looking for an integrated access control system that was easy to use, reliable, and secure for their Central Parc property. The property, located in Laval, Quebec, is comprised of six buildings and a community center, offering residents an array of amenities and a beautiful one-acre park with an off-leash dog area. The challenge was to provide one-key access for residents that was easily maintained and reliable. The system needed to be scalable for future growth and versatile enough to complement any decor.

California Vacation Villas (CVV) is a full-service leasing and property management company that specializes in short-term vacation rentals. It manages a 70-unit inventory in Southern California’s beach and low desert resort areas. The company’s desert properties are subject to high temperatures. Therefore, these units often have high utility costs from frequent air conditioner use. CVV’s beach properties are exposed to salt air and beachfront weather conditions, which may lead to corrosion. Further, company President Quinn Tamm, knew that operators who use metal keys in lock boxes for guest and vendor access had concerns about lost keys and unauthorized duplication. He became interested in the growing “connected home” technology movement and its benefits for temperature control, security monitoring, and overall guest convenience. Tamm wanted to work with his owners to implement a technology solution that would make its units more secure with flexible, convenient guest access, and guarantee a long-lasting product life. He also wanted to install networked energy management controls that would monitor and reduce unnecessary power use.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales manages over 600 properties, many of which are located in remote areas near the Atlantic Ocean. These properties are exposed to the corrosive effects of salt spray and blowing sand, which can cause issues with the vacation rental locks. The company needed to ensure that their locks were in reliable operating condition to reduce the time their maintenance team spent responding to guest access issues. Additionally, several property owners wanted to lower their energy costs with smart thermostats, prompting Brindley to offer a 'connected home' environment to monitor and control energy usage. The company evaluated vacation rental access locks from leading providers to upgrade their existing units. They wanted secure, flexible keyless locks that could communicate wirelessly and were compatible with a remote monitoring system.

Greenville Technical College (GTC) is a part of the South Carolina Technical Education System, providing affordable, quality education to residents throughout the state. As part of its commitment to provide up-to-date educational opportunities for area residents, GTC opened its Northwest Campus, a 110,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art high-tech facility. The challenge was to ensure safety, security, accessibility, and durability for the doorways of the Northwest Campus while maintaining aesthetic compatibility with the facility’s design.

The rapidly growing community of Oak Creek, south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, faced the challenge of meeting the educational needs of its increasing number of K-12 students. The population had increased nearly 70% in twenty years, necessitating the construction of a new school. The $24 million, 180,000 sq ft East Middle School was designed to accommodate 1,000 students. However, the constant movement of energetic preteens put a heavy demand on both internal and external doorways throughout the school, requiring a robust and reliable solution.

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation had a dream to build a new $108 million, 473,000 sq ft complex for its K-12 students. The Cherokee Central School is now an all-encompassing campus with three schools, three gyms, an auditorium, community center, sports arena, cafeteria, and an array of state-of-the-art athletic fields. The Cherokee Central School is one of the largest “green” schools east of the Mississippi. The school was designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification, which meant “thinking green” from the project’s start to its finish. It began with determining how the structure would lie on the land and respect its natural surroundings—and many other energy-conscious construction decisions came after that. The buildings have numerous earth-friendly features including passive solar heating, day lighting, and a geothermal system. To conserve water, a system has been established to capture rainwater and add it to the water supply used to flush toilets and irrigate the grounds. 90% of construction waste from the project was recycled. To ensure the complex met its green objectives, the access solutions installed also needed to meet its sustainability requirements while providing reliable safety and security.

The Cira Centre, Philadelphia’s first major office high-rise in more than 10 years, needed solutions that would blend seamlessly with its modern glass exterior while providing the functionality needed for the multi-use, high-traffic building. The entrance hardware selected had to be minimal, yet reliable and secure. The building offers a state-of-the-art office and conference center, a modern restaurant with lounge, and a fitness center. The challenge was to find a solution that would meet all these requirements.

Manpower, Inc., one of the world's largest staffing agencies, built its international headquarters in downtown Milwaukee. The company was committed to building green and reflecting its global presence in the design of the building. The design needed to emulate a Euro-style environment, with a main entrance facing the river and a welcoming courtyard. The company's business model also influenced the design, with a focus on comfort over opulence. All aspects of the building's design and construction, including its door hardware, needed to fit within the context of building green, creating an international feel, and providing quality economically.

The InterContinental Boston is a waterfront hotel and residential complex that has become a focal point in the city. Its 22-story blue glass façade curves skyward, mirroring the profile of the sailing boats in the harbor it overlooks. The hotel offers public access to the scenic waterfront. The first three floors of the InterContinental provide a variety of restaurants and conference facilities. On floors 4 through 12, the hotel offers 424 guest rooms and suites. 130 condominiums, ranging from studios to 4-bedroom penthouses, are available as private homes on the upper floors. Given the InterContinental Boston’s function and location, both exterior and interior doorways experience high traffic—residents and hotel guests, conventioners, diners, and strollers enjoying HarborWalk create constant foot traffic day and night. This heavy usage called for extremely durable and reliable door hardware while the luxury setting required pleasing aesthetics to complement and enhance the hotel décor.

Tim Dixon, of Dixon Development LLC, had a vision to create an upscale hotel in downtown Milwaukee that would cater to both business professionals and bikers. He purchased a neglected 100-year old brick warehouse, located near the Harley Davidson Museum, and set out to transform it into the luxurious Iron Horse Hotel. The challenge was to convert the 90,000 sq ft warehouse into a hotel with 100 guest rooms, while preserving the building's original architecture and industrial era charm. The hotel needed to offer state-of-the-art business services in a luxury setting, while also accommodating bikers with amenities such as an onsite bike wash and hooks in every room for hanging up heavy leathers. All modern additions, including the door hardware, had to fit unobtrusively into the renovated space.

The Cira Centre, Philadelphia’s first major office high-rise in more than 10 years, required solutions that would blend seamlessly with its modern glass exterior while providing the functionality needed for the multi-use, high-traffic building. The entrance hardware selected had to be minimal, yet reliable and secure. The building offers a state-of-the-art office and conference center, a modern restaurant with lounge, and a fitness center. The challenge was to find a solution that would meet all these requirements.

Fairview Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina, had been conducting services in an outdated 40-year-old facility that was neither large enough nor modern enough to meet the needs of the church’s growing congregation. Years of planning finally culminated in a $12 million, 149,000 sq ft campus, which features a worship center seating up to 1,500. With the latest audio/video technology built into the center, services can incorporate organ, piano, orchestra, and praise team instruments—and all of it can be projected onto screens at the front and back. An administration wing flanks the north side of the center; a library, chapel, music suite, and conference areas are to the south. The basement of the worship center houses a 14,200 sq ft fellowship hall with an adjoining kitchen. Durability, ease of use, safety, and security of openings throughout the extensive campus were all high priorities. All door hardware also needed to complement its surrounding design elements.

The Reflections Condominiums, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, is the first LEED®-certified residential complex in the state. The two 17-story towers are as sustainable as they are visually stunning, reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape and allowing natural light into 97% of the interior spaces. From the project’s inception, contractor/developer McGough Construction was committed to utilizing green design and practices. The company even maintains its own Bright Green Center of Excellence for promoting sustainable development, construction, and facility management. The Reflections Condominiums embody these principles in numerous ways and are a tribute to the architects’ and builders’ commitment to green. The buildings are located adjacent to Bloomington Central Station, providing residents with convenient access to public transportation. Building systems and components make use of recycled content, and an efficient and sophisticated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system creates an interior climate that’s cleaner than the outside. The building walls and doorways are well sealed and insulated, leading to lower energy costs.

Twiddy & Company, a vacation rental company, was facing challenges in managing access to their properties. The properties, located on or near the beach, endure more wear and tear than homes located inland. The company needed a solution that could withstand climate extremes and meet ANSI A156.25 requirements for dust, humidity, and salt. Additionally, some of the properties are located in very remote areas, making it difficult and time-consuming to manage access control.

The Champlain Student Association (CSA) at Champlain College Saint-Lambert faced a challenge with their existing access control system. The system, which was installed in 2003, used Kaba Solitaire 850 Locks and magnetic stripe card credentials for students to gain access to rooms. However, after a renovation project at the college, some of the locks were damaged or removed, reducing the number of functioning locks. The CSA needed a solution that would allow them to repair and upgrade their existing locks, while also expanding their access control capabilities and streamlining operations.

The newly built CBeebies Land Hotel at the Alton Towers resort in Staffordshire required door closers that would not spoil intricate vinyl leaf designs on the bedroom doors, while also ensuring compliance with both access and fire regulations. The hotel, designed by The Manser Practice, is the first hotel designed exclusively for children and young families. Each room features its own individual kids zone. The architect initially stipulated that overhead door closers were to be installed. However, due to the nature of the fully screen-printed doors, complete with images of CBeebies characters, it was decided that more discreet door closers were needed to ensure the design was not obstructed.

Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) was facing issues with its aging, obsolete revolving exit doors which had become a security and maintenance headache. The growing needs for passenger flow required that these doors be manned 24/7. The challenge was to elevate the passenger experience by focusing on all touch points along the passenger journey, transforming the airport experience with efficient processes.

Hillwood Development Company, based in Fort Worth, Texas, was looking to integrate modern, convenient amenities into their Tacara Village property. They wanted to provide their residents with a 'smart' living experience by automating technology for security, convenience, comfort, and entertainment. The company was particularly interested in offering their residents the convenience of using a smart device to simplify access throughout the property. They wanted to provide a solution that would allow residents to unlock their apartment doors for guests or dog walkers even when they were not at home.

The City of Madison, Wisconsin, had a mix of new and older buildings, some of which were 50-60 years old and of complex construction. These buildings included engineering sites, streets buildings, five different police districts, 14 fire stations, and government facilities, among others. The IT Department services 36 different agencies in 20 sites across the city. The city's assets were protected by a team of security and technology experts whose responsibility included everything from assigning rights to software use to protecting taxpayer data to securing buildings and people, and more. However, when officials were unable to lock down a building during an emergency due to technical issues and the company who installed it said they could not provide on-site support for two days, Ken Ferguson, Information Specialist 3 and System Administrator for City of Madison, knew he needed to replace the system.

Kaba Access Control, a North Carolina-based manufacturing facility, has been home to some diverse operations, including a cotton mill, foundry, and furniture hardware manufacturer. The company has utilized its prior assets to build a business that includes die-casting, plating, sanding, stamping, assembly, and shipping operations, as well as in-house research, engineering, and customer support services. The facility includes 150,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space and employs over 250 personnel. Coinciding with its changing businesses, the building’s original 1905 brick structure has undergone a series of renovations and additions, morphing the once basic space into a complex web of access points. The company had managed their access points with an online, wired system, but retired the system when it could not provide expanded coverage at a reasonable cost. With input from the safety committee, the company embarked on choosing and installing a new access control system that would provide a higher level of security and accommodate its numerous users and critical access points.

Osceola County School District, located in Florida, is one of the largest land masses in the state. The district is home to a diverse population, with nearly half of its residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino. The district's main goal is to outperform all other districts in Florida, a goal that is continually being met as the district consistently improves and exceeds every milestone. However, the district faces significant challenges due to its socio-economic status. Approximately 70% of the students receive free or reduced lunches, and the district has identified between 3,000-4,000 Families in Transition (FIT) or homeless students. This adds a layer of complexity to the district's operations, as it must ensure these students' basic needs are met before focusing on improving academic performance.

The Salem Chapel Volunteer Fire Department had two main entrances on either side of the building. Only one of the two doors had a keyless lock on it — back in 1988, they installed a Simplex mechanical pushbutton lock on the right-side door. Kaba Simplex locks provide one code for all users, and Salem Chapel employed the same initial, common code for ten years. Everybody who came here knew the code for the station; it never varied. Recently, after a few members left the department, they decided to change the code; it was at that point that the lock stopped working.

Bridgford Foods, a food processing company, needed to enhance its security measures at its Statesville, NC facility. The company wanted to control the access of everyone who enters the building, including visitors, suppliers, employees, and service personnel, as part of its food defense strategy. The company had installed standalone, Kaba E-Plex 5700 Locks on two perimeter doors to enable access into the main building. However, the company wanted to extend its access control capabilities to ensure tighter control of who enters the building and protect against potential threats to its food supply.

EdR, a leading developer, owner, and manager of high-quality collegiate housing communities, was facing the challenge of outdated housing that could not meet the needs of a 'wired' generation. With enrollments increasing at a greater pace, university leaders realized the need for new construction of privatized developments and repurposing of school-owned facilities. EdR was aware of the benefits that electronic locks would provide when dealing with key control, and saw them as a perfect fit for student housing projects. However, locks using mechanical keys needed to be physically changed at each semester turn, which was a significant operational challenge.

Desmeules Chrysler Dodge Jeep, a large automobile dealership in Quebec, was struggling with after-hours theft. The dealership spans across several buildings including a main two-story showroom with administrative offices, a parts and service center, and a second showroom for the Fiat models. Despite its impressive facilities, the dealership was unable to prevent break-ins, which disrupted business operations and made employees feel unsafe.

Starbucks had been facing issues with securing their restrooms for use by employees and customers. In many locations, the restrooms were being used by non-customers and the homeless for inappropriate activities. The keys for the mechanical keyed restroom locks were often lost or stolen, which required the cylinders to be rekeyed or the locks replaced, as well as any repairs that may have been required for the bathrooms. This made providing a safe and secure restroom facility an expensive and inconvenient proposition for Starbucks in many locations. A couple of years ago, Alarm Locks DL4100 privacy cylindrical lockset was introduced as a solution. However, it did not resolve the issues or provide cost savings to Starbucks due to installation time, visibility issues with the privacy button, and product failure and operator error.

The Detroit Marriott, a 73-story luxury hotel with 1,300 rooms and suites, required an upgrade to its electronic access system from 1992 to meet the demanding security requirements of a luxury hotel in an international metropolis. The management was looking for the newest version of electronic locks with automatic deadbolt that provided a high level of security and were easy to use for guests and staff. The system needed to include central retrieval of access rights and lock data, multiple-keying plans, and all the Windows-based system applications. The hotel also wanted to optimize its energy use on a lasting basis by controlling the temperature in the individual rooms on a centralized basis.

The University of Southampton, one of the largest campuses in the UK, was looking to consolidate all access solutions, new installations, and service maintenance programs with one company. The high-traffic campus required systems and access solutions that work efficiently, safely, and remain compliant with building regulations. Faulty access solutions could affect the entire operation of a building and its overall security. The university's complex campus is spread across the city, making it crucial to have a single supplier familiar with the site requirements.

Hitachi Rail Europe was in the process of supplying new Class 800/801 trains as part of the Intercity Express Programme. These trains, which can travel at up to 125 mph in various formations from five to ten cars, were designed to provide an efficient means for passengers to travel on electrified and non-electrified routes. They were also intended to enhance the customer experience with more modern trains, better interiors and seating arrangements, and faster journey times. However, these trains required a high-security locking solution that could meet the client's exacting specifications. The solution needed to be reliable in extreme operating conditions and secure enough to protect the trains' valuable assets.

First Great Western operates high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services across the former Wessex Trains, First Great Western Link and First Great Western routes. Their vision is to provide their customers and communities with travel that is safe, reliable and enjoyable. However, they faced a challenge in ensuring passenger safety when alighting the train at shorter platforms. They needed a selective opening device for their high-speed trains that would allow the Train Manager to control the automatic locking and unlocking device for the train doors.

Embassy Gardens is the residential and commercial centrepiece of the Nine Elms area regeneration, consisting of luxury apartments on a site that will offer residents a host of one-off leisure facilities such as the Sky Pool, a transparent 25m swimming pool which will bridge two of the residential buildings, an exclusive cinema and other exclusive leisure, fitness and business facilities. The challenge was to install a system within the residential units that have their own internal winter garden, allowing residents to enjoy their outdoor space whatever the weather.

The Nexus owned Tyne and Wear Metro, one of only two underground metro-type systems in the UK outside London, has been providing public transport to the people of Tyne and Wear for several decades. The Metro, which covers 60km and carries over forty million passenger journeys per year, opened in 1980 and opted for a Kaba 20 mechanical master key system for its security needs. The Metro has a varied range of locking solutions in Kaba 20 including, entrance and exit doors, perimeter fencing and track side pedestrian gates, signal points, office and high voltage access, and the train controls on the metro cars.

The rail sector demands high-quality security and surveillance equipment to increase passenger safety and improve passenger satisfaction. The challenge was to find a solution that could meet the legislated environmental and power requirements, while also being enclosed in a custom thermomechanical vandal-resistant rack-mounted casing. The solution also needed to have the ability to react to alarms and triggers to increase the recorded frame rate during incidents and securely protect the recording to allow later retrieval.

The University of the West of England (UWE) needed a high-security mechanical locking system for its new Faculty of Business and Law building. The new building includes two showcase law courts, a city trading room, a 300-seat lecture theatre, two Harvard lecture theatres, and technology-enhanced active learning classrooms. The university required a system that would allow quick access to all rooms to aid fast evacuation and ensure a lower number of keys in circulation. The system also needed to be flexible enough to evolve with UWE, helping to future-proof the installation.