Real estate ownership and investment is considered a primary component of any portfolio. The term real estate covers a wide range of properties including office buildings, schools, malls, condos/apartment complexes, hotels, manufacturing facilities, sports venues, gas stations and so on. Regardless of the size or type however, the one element they all have in common is the requirement for asset and property management.

According to a 2016 study by the Administration on Aging, people over the age of 65 represent nearly 14 percent of the population and that number is expected to grow to 21 percent by 2040. To accommodate this segment of the population, senior living and healthcare facilities are undergoing a transformation in design that better addresses their unique needs. The study indicates, for instance, that LED lighting, wellness programs and amenities will be top of the list for facility upgrades.

Securing and controlling keys has taken many forms over the years and has evolved to a highly-sophisticated technology that spans across multiple security market segments. Before the advent and widespread use of electronic key control systems however, key control was often a haphazard routine. Many organizations used an honor system to store and control building keys, while institutions such as correctional facilities or medical campuses used a more formal system requiring access activity to be hand-written in a log book. The procedures were often ineffective, mostly laborious and frequently left the organization vulnerable because keys could not be 100 percent accounted for.

High security, high-profile events staged at arenas, stadiums and convention centers across the country require special planning that involves risk assessment, crowd management, staffing, communication, emergency response procedures and so on. Technology used to support the safety and security plan for these events and for the regular day-to-day operation of the facility also requires special attention that can’t be compromised.

For more than 50 years, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been available for use in business and security applications. We’re all familiar with RFID tag systems in retail stores as a theft prevention device. However, its use has expanded to include widely diverse applications including embedding tags in a casino’s high value poker chips and tagging test equipment and tools used at a jet engine maintenance facility. RFID tags are also a reliable solution for asset control of high value items such as laptop computers or tablets that may contain proprietary information. Similar solutions can be used to help ensure the security of evidence obtained by law enforcement officers.