UNITE Students upgrade to TLJ Mobile Keys

TLJ have upgraded one of UNITE Students’ flagship properties to Mobile Keys. This cutting edge, super-convenient, electronic locking solution allows students to gain access to the building, their room cluster and ultimately their bedroom using only their smartphone. Exploiting the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, the phone connects seamlessly and securely with the door lock or access reader.

With the TLJ Mobile Keys app installed on students’ phones (Android or iOS) reception can remotely issue secure digital keys, encrypted via the cloud. In the rare event of students losing their phones or suffering a flat battery, the upgraded locks continue to operate with existing radio frequency (RFID) keycards and fobs, as well as a fail-safe metal key.

Uniquely, TLJ Mobile Keys allows the operator to issue digital keys and physical keycards from the same piece of software, avoiding tedious switching between platforms.

TLJ worked with UNITE Students in 2016, installing external access control readers at the Coventry site. Students were then able to use RFID fobs to open public doors but were still compelled to unlock their bedroom doors with outdated magnetic stripe cards. So the decision was taken to upgrade the bedroom door locks, from another supplier, to TLJ’s Mobile Keys system.

The robust and reliable TLJ Infinity lock set, equipped with BLE functionality, was chosen for the job. A major benefit of the 2018 re-fit was that TLJ’s Infinity lock slotted directly into the existing cut outs left by the old locks. No carpentry work was needed, providing a simple and cost-effective upgrade path.

Students can now gain access to all areas for which they have permission with a quick tap of their smartphone screen. Lost keys are a thing of the past, and staff don’t even need to be on site to issue a Mobile Key. Another huge advantage is the built-in ‘write back’ functionality. Using the student’s smartphone as the data carrier, UNITE can see which doors have been accessed in real time, effectively providing a fully online access control system for a fraction of the cost.