Aperio locks free security staff of Lund University to focus on security — not system administration

Challenge

Founded in 1666, Lund University is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. It is also one of Scandinavia’s largest: the university has a single smart access card for its 42,000 students and around 7,500 staff.

The university’s Faculty of Law teaches both Swedish and international students, and sought a replacement for its own 20-year-old access control system.

Solution

The secret is seamless integration between Aperio® locks and Pacom’s Unison security management platform, which was already installed at the Law faculty.

Aperio® battery-powered locks with card readers are fully integrated with Unison, and have now been installed wirelessly at the Law faculty. Aperio® locks can be opened using the existing student and staff cards. “Installation was problem-free. Aperio® has proven to be very cost effective and is really appreciated by staff and students,” says Magnus Svensson, Infrastructure Manager at the Law faculty.

Additional requirements included:

• A system that enabled security managers to update Law Faculty access rights, but did not require thousands of users to return their smart cards for reprogramming

• A solution that allowed security managers to block lost cards centrally, without the need for technicians to visit every door

• A system that did not require staff having to reactivate their cards on update readers

• A way to reduce time spent on system administration, so security staff can focus on service

Because Aperio® locks can be managed online, security managers can now block lost cards centrally, without the need for technicians to visit the door. It is easy to de-authorise staff and students who leave the university. An operator simply removes them from the user database in the Pacom Unison system, and their smart card no longer opens doors. Everything is managed from one simple, streamlined user interface. Aperio® wireless locks are also time-efficient to run: “We have been able to reduce the time we spend on user management and system administration radically,” adds Magnus Svensson.