The Diocesan College is more than a school. Its historic buildings date back to the 16th century and it is a heritage site as well as a place of learning, with a museum that also requires the protection of an access control system.
Therefore, the project to update the access control system had to be carried out with the minimum possible inconvenience to the school officials in their day-to-day activities and adapting to the uniqueness of the facilities. Its buildings are a Resource of Cultural Interest and are on the Spanish heritage register, so they could not be damaged. Wireless locks were the obvious answer to their needs.
A wireless solution for a 16th century challenge
SMARTair wireless locking devices now control access to 300 doors throughout the school. A mix of battery-powered and weather-resistant handles, cylinder knobs, and wall readers (including for lifts), are connected to the SMARTair intuitive software over a network of 38 wireless hubs.
The school chose the SMARTair Wireless Online system, the most advanced management option that enables real-time security monitoring to limit free access to and around the site, even if the school’s data network is down. Automated emails inform security personnel of any incidents, keeping students, staff, equipment, and valuable assets safe.
"The main benefit is that it facilitates the management of keys in real time, from anywhere and at any time, through the wireless online management system,” says IT Manager Francisco Fernández Soriano. “This increases safety for children and staff, because no unauthorised person can enter the school."
SMARTair locks and readers provide a simplified way to manage access. Students and staff wear badges programmed to allow access to specific authorised areas. Additionally, the SMARTair TS1000 software makes it easy to issue and cancel access credentials for temporary visitors such as parents.
"In addition to the main entrances and classrooms, access to private areas such as lifts, offices, staff rooms, the church, the museum, the library and the computer room are constantly monitored,” adds Fernández Soriano. “Thanks to our SMARTair devices installed in more than 300 doors, the security team knows who has accessed which area and when, at any time".
Installation and integration
The installation of the new SMARTair system involved hardly any work at all. Some of the doors in the school date from the 16th century, so it was not possible to make major alterations to the hardware. “The system was installed without problems and without interrupting classes,” confirms Fernández Soriano. SMARTair is a modular system so scalability is built in and they can extend or adjust their access system whenever they want. In fact, “Phase II” of the project is already being planned.
SMARTair software was also easily incorporated into existing management workflows at the school. The Diocesan College has used iinventi software for the past five years. Integration with SMARTair software was simple: access control, the library and dining room are managed from one integrated system.
To learn more about this success story, you can visit the following page.
Schools and heritage sites present their own challenges for security and access control. But what about a school that is also a heritage site of exceptional importance? This was the challenge faced by the security administrators of the Diocesan College Santo Domingo in Orihuela, Alicante.
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