ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions

Hotels around the globe are feeling the pressure of keeping pace with rising guest expectations. For a property’s security access capabilities, continuing to meet evolving standards over what counts as a safe, yet convenient building environment is perhaps more crucial than ever as the industry works to regain the confidence and trust of returning guests.

Yet as many hospitality professionals know, staying ahead of new advances in technology that cater to modern guest demands and industry requirements is often a costly undertaking limited by budgetary constraints. However, sidestepping such issues are newer scalable security solutions that don’t just represent today’s latest capabilities, but that can also evolve as technology and industry need inevitably progress. Using such future-proof platforms, hoteliers can finally break free from the never-ending cycle of cost-prohibitive upgrades while always providing guests with the enhanced safety and functionality they deserve.

Moving Access Management Into the Cloud

As the core system behind any property’s security access operations, the level of protection offered by the access management platform is critical to preventing unauthorized room entry and lapses in safety. With new and evermore creative approaches to bypassing a hotel’s security continuing to arise, today’s industry businesses are in need of future-proof access management technologies that can adapt to newly discovered threats without the need for an expensive infrastructural overhaul each time.

“ As the core system behind any property’s security access operations, the level of protection offered by an access management platformis critical to preventing unauthorized room entry and lapses in safety. “

Cloud-based access management platforms are now providing the industry with an effective solution by moving beyond the previous limitations of legacy onsite server-based systems. An access management solution that exists entirely in the cloud is notably free of any hardware upgrade requirements whenever a system update is needed. Instead and with no interaction required on the part of property staff, cloud-based systems are able to receive regular software updates automatically, ensuring continuous highlevel security protection while representing no additional expense or time-consuming installation.

Making Third-Party Integrations Easy Using Scalable Cloud Technology

As more hotels seek to interconnect their various systems and amenities to boost guest convenience and business efficiency, many are finding that legacy platforms are ill-equipped to facilitate integrations with thirdparty technologies. What ultimately results is a complex patchwork of connections that at best may lead to a loss of full functionality or reliability. At its worst, it could also expose a property to unforeseen data security vulnerabilities.

With cloud-based access management, such potential issues can be avoided altogether. Unlike legacy systems using onsite servers, cloud technologies are not restricted by what integration options were made available at the time of a platform’s original launch. The simple design of an application programming interface (API) is all that is often needed to allow different systems to communicate and interact with one another. This process is carried out by a solution provider, taking a time-consuming task off of the shoulders of onsite staff while providing hotel leadership with the confidence of knowing that any integrations have been vetted against the unintentional creation of security loopholes.

One example of an integration that a cloud-based access management system can facilitate is providing seamless compatibility with a property’s energy management system. Such integration can automatically adjust the settings of in-room amenities such as thermostats or lights based on a room’s real-time occupancy status. When properly integrated, this can drastically reduce utility costs without coming at the cost of reduced guest comfort.