The advancement of technology has offered major convenience and improvements in security in nearly every aspect of our lives. Recent technology progress in the fields of artificial intelligence and big data have enabled the incorporation of technology in almost all fields. The combination of these technologies with machines has greatly improved the delivery of services and made easier tasks that would otherwise take people a long time to achieve.
In real estate, technological advancements have made the construction of smart homes possible. Nowadays almost all appliances in a modern home have internet connectivity and are able to communicate with other devices in a greater ecosystem commonly known as the internet of things.
Smart buildings have devices that allow and restrict access to homes and offices using internet connectivity to identify a person as either authorized or unauthorized. Many of these access control devices can be controlled remotely using applications installed on a smartphone. The access control apps come with many capabilities and features. For instance, they are able to set off alarms and allow or restrict access. Some of the apps also can be integrated with surveillance equipment to give users a live feed of their premises.
This blog post on gatedcommunitynews.com lists some of the security level mechanisms that you can control using an access limiting app on your smartphone.
Features of an Access Control App
Other than the main function of allowing and restricting access to premises, apps that can control access come loaded with other useful features aimed at enhancing security and managing the building. We look at some of these features below.
Access control
The main feature of the app is to control entry for any give access point. Most of the apps do this by monitoring the main entrance and exit points of buildings. Advanced entry restricting apps incorporate video surveillance capabilities into their functionality to enable the user to see the people who are moving in and out of the entry and exit points. Such apps offer more enhanced security because the feed from the surveillance can be reviewed to reveal a past security incident. This feature enables the building owner to observe what happens even when the surveillance is not being monitored in real time.
Geolocation and mapping access points
Access control apps can be customized to have a map of the whole building built into them. Once the user passes the entry point as an authorized person, the app prompts for a specific point within the building that the user wants to go to. The app will then use the geolocation technology that is common in most modern smart phones to guide the user. A location point in the map shows the user’s position in relation to their destination. The user can then follow the direction on the map and reach his or her destination point without having to ask for directions.
This capability becomes useful in large buildings that have similar interior design plans in the rooms within the building.
Visitor management
Apps that can control access go further than just limiting and allowing access at the entry and exit points in premises. The old way of recording details of persons who visit your premises using a book, pen, and paper has been automated using apps with visitor management capability. The access control app records a visitor’s details such as names, gender, age, and contacts. The app keeps track of what time the person came into the premises and what time he or she left. It is also possible to keep track of which office within the building the person visited or, in the case of a gated community, which apartment within the complex the person entered.
Such apps are convenient in buildings where there are many visitors. Getting data from the app’s data bank to monitor how frequent one visitor accesses the building is easy and can be done within a short time. It is also possible to know which person within the premises gets a specific number of visitors within a span of time.
Access control in hotels – Room booking
Entry restriction apps can be used in hotels that offer accommodation to guests. This will enable the owners to manage the reservation and booking of rooms and services. The applications can also incorporate the payment options available for the clients when booking.
Guests who book the rooms in the hotel can add other services that are offered by the hotel such as room service, food, drinks, and conference facilities.
Apps that have a room booking service will help hotel owners in data collection and management, which is an important variable in the growth of business. The app can present the data in a visual format that is easy to derive inferences from. For instance, you will know the time of year when certain rooms are fully booked. Popular services can be identified and the new services on offer highlighted to guests on the app.
The app can market its wide range of services to guests and upsell the guests on services that they could add during their stay at the hotel. Such services like a massage, steam rooms, swimming, and outdoor games are additional services that the hotel can sell to guests.
Benefits of using access limiting apps
A building owner who embraces technology and uses access controlling applications to manage and maintain his or her premises benefits in a number of ways. The following are some of the benefits of using such apps to building owners:
Data collection
Using an app that can control access makes it easy to collect and store data regarding which people gain access to certain areas of your premises. Such data is vital in maintaining security in the modern world.
Security enhancement
Using apps that can control access enhances security by ensuring that only authorized persons can access a premise. It is easier to separate intruders from authorized persons when using an access control app as compared to when you are using the traditional method of a security guard at the access point.
Access controlling apps also eliminate the need for physical keys that are easy to duplicate at a locksmith. This ensures that access to the premises is limited only to personnel who have authorization.
With exclusion of physical keys, cases of a person being locked out due to losing or misplacing keys are done away with.
Prestige
A building that employs an access restriction app to manage entry and exit is perceived modern. Many people living in gated communities are associated with opulence, and the use of apps that can control access serves to boost this image.
Alerts
Using the apps also enables a property owner to receive alerts on his or her smartphone when there is a breach of security on the premises. This means that the issues will be identified quickly and resolved in a timely manner.
Remote surveillance
Using an access control app facilitates the surveillance of your premises remotely. The application can be used together with the surveillance equipment in your premises to enable you to enjoy a real time view of your surveillance cameras. Storage of surveillance footage enables rolling back of the footage collected over a span of time, thus allowing you to see what was happening in your premises in the past even without real time surveillance.
Sources
https://www.getkisi.com/blog/ultimate-real-estate-apps-guide
