The use of green technology and other environmentally friendly practices is gaining momentum across the country. University campuses, commercial sites and urban municipalities have all made commitments to reduce their environmental footprint. For many, key control systems are part of the solution creating eco-friendly security practices.
For example, bike sharing programs at universities, corporate and commercial locations use keys that are controlled and stored in an automated key management system. A unique lock integrated directly into each bike’s frame allows it to be locked by key to a standard bike rack. Anytime a rider scans their ID card to access a key, the software system logs the transaction to record where, when and how long a bike is used and by whom. The system’s comprehensive reporting and tracking assures that bike users can be held accountable for any damage or theft. Audit data can be analyzed to determine if more bikes need to be added, moved or reduced and in what areas. Key control cabinets can be added where and when as needed to support program growth while the overall system maintains high reliability and performance including the common usage of data bases and programming.
Multi-site key control systems can also be environmentally friendly. Instead of having to drive back and forth to access or return keys to a particular key cabinet, networked systems allow users to return keys to any cabinet location. Advanced systems provide the location of each key in the system so time and energy are not wasted in looking for keys.
Key control systems feature a rugged stainless steel construction and virtually indestructible key fobs, which readily accommodate both hard keys and plastic key cards. They are designed for heavy use and the illuminated key slots make accessing and returning keys easy. For added security, alarms can also be triggered for certain predetermined circumstances such as the use of force to gain access or remove a key, invalid user codes, a door left open for more than 10 seconds after use, power failure, a key missing or not returned on time or a key returned by the wrong user.
Increasingly, environmental concerns are taken into consideration when new technology solutions are adopted. Key control systems are physical security safeguards that also meet this new standard for eco-friendly solutions.
