The vision of Smart Home Access brings existing mechanical locking systems to the next level, thus enabling smart life solutions
The vision of Smart Home Access brings existing mechanical locking systems to the next level, thus enabling smart life solutions. Today, smart card-based access systems are used by many enterprises, government institutions, hotels and campuses worldwide. In a joint effort, NXP partners have transformed these solutions into optimized offerings for private homes, where mechanical keys are still dominant. In a worldwide field test, these solutions have been implemented and assessed. In addition to smart cards or key fobs, NFC phones offer the opportunity to conveniently manage access rights and replace the need to carry keys altogether. A survey demonstrated that the systems are easy to implement, reliable and guarantee secure and flexible solutions.
Insights from NXP’s home access trial
A group of over 50 employees from NXP Semiconductors volunteered to replace their traditional mechanical locking systems in their private homes and use MIFARE®-enabled smart door locks. In over ten countries the employees, their partners and families have used the smart access solutions every day. The candidates themselves arranged the physical installation as well as the programming of the lock. A survey showed that more than 80% of the participants managed the physical integration without any difficulties. Many employees confirmed that they would rather forget their keys than their smart phones.
Smart Solution for private doors
The replacement of mechanical locks was carried out seamlessly, without any additional wiring, using lithium battery-powered cylinders. The participants had the choice of using MIFARE® DESFire EV1-based key fobs or their NFC smart phones to open the doors. Advanced systems enable flexible access right management. For example, they enable time-restricted access for tradesmen or cleaning personnel.
The solution offers clear advantages: Over 85% of the participants indicated that opening a door with a digital key is at least as intuitive as using a traditional metal key. The locking and unlocking procedure is faster and more convenient, as it merely involves placing the credential near to the door lock.
“It is a huge challenge to change the world’s preference for home access from mechanical to smart solutions”, says Rainer Lutz, Senior Global Marketing Manager Access Management at NXP. “The close cooperation with a strong set of partners, the first-hand experience with a large group of users and the wealth of possibilities enabled by the innovative solutions give us great confidence that we are rapidly moving forward towards mass adoption of smart life solutions with an expanding group of partners.”
