MADISON HEIGHTS, MICH.—SAFLOK has announced a collaboration with Control4. As a leader in electronic locking systems and part of the Kaba Group, SAFLOK has integrated some of its best-selling Messenger technology on the Control4 Suite Systems for “smart rooms” at hotel properties.
“This integration will be a winning technology venture for SAFLOK, Control4, and most importantly the hotels,” says Kerry Hirschy, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Kaba Lodging Systems. “The integration between our two systems is proof of the smart room interoperability concept as a significant benefit to a hotel property.”
The SAFLOK lock essentially becomes part of an online virtual network that uses the ZigBee mesh to communicate with Control4 Suite Systems’ in-room controllers. With the SAFLOK software inside the Control4 hubs, properties will utilize one communications backbone and maximize the benefits of a single infrastructure. As the “gateway,” the lock maintains a key role in communicating access information to the in-room coordinators, which in turn determine how the in-room appliances such as lamps, thermostats, or the TV will respond. This leveraging of technology is expected to provide properties with an improved bottom line.
Part of an Energy Management System
“There will be an amazing amount of personalized automation in the guestrooms for the utmost in luxury,” Hirschy says. “When the guest walks in, the room will come to life. When guests aren’t in the room, our system will help with energy management. Heating/cooling, lighting, TVs and other appliances can be turned off or down to greener settings when the room is unoccupied. Any customized settings will be remembered for return visits from this guest, too. Most important, all of this is seamless to the guest.”
“With Control4, our Messenger LENS takes on an expanded role—not just for security, not just for access control,” Hirschy says. “Our system becomes a mechanism for interoperability and even greater integration. This alliance clearly differentiates us from other competitors—through our willingness to work with other vendors, share resources, and collaborate to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
SAFLOK Messenger is an online lock communication system that operates on the internationally accepted ZigBee Prostack protocol. The LENS component was introduced as part of this system earlier this year. LENS refers to Lock Event Notification System which is a subscriber-publisher program that routes and displays messages from the locks in real-time. The Control4 Suite System also uses ZigBee wireless technology for its reliable automation system. Hotel property management can operate from one to 10,000 properties—remotely—with this system.
A flagship installation of the SAFLOK and Control4 integration is currently under construction in Las Vegas. The MGM CityCenter Las Vegas is set to open in December 2009.
