We are proud to have solutions that have been implemented globally, from our own turf in The Netherlands to across the pond in the Empire State. For this reason, we like to make it a point to reach out to our customers around the world and find out what led them to SALTO KS and how they make use of it.
In this blog post, we focus on Australia, where we have an incredible Cloud team and colleagues who do their best to learn more about the spaces and sites using our cloud-based access control solutions. Two of these happen to fall under the same category of Student Housing and while both are customers, they are very different in their mission and identity.
This is supported by Josie Rae, Marketing Manager at SALTO Systems Australia and New Zealand, who says that “Australia offers world-class education and safe communities for international students.” According to Josie, these benefits will still hold true post the present pandemic; "As a service industry and home-away-from-home for young adults, implementing a cloud-based access control solution such as SALTO KS is operating with an eye to the future.”
Read on to find out more about Ultimo Terraces and The Student Housing Company.
Ultimo Terraces
Sydney’s universities and colleges attract a large number of overseas students. This generates a demand for council approved, safe, and secure accommodation, like the Ultimo Terraces student house-shares. Ultimo Terraces has three adjoining terraced houses, each with several bedrooms, a shared lounge, kitchen, bathroom and courtyard, and a communal laundry. While Ultimo Terraces are not primarily limited to student housing, they provide a valuable option for all renters.
According to the owner and operator of Ultimo Terraces, managing access to the houses and rooms was quite a headache before the decision to switch to SALTO KS. This was not only demanding on management time but inconvenient for the students, who had to wait for access. Additionally, there was a lack of visibility for the owner and operators who had no real-time clear view of who had access to which houses, doors and bedrooms.
“If a student lost their key card, a building manager had to come onsite with a new card, and physically reprogram it (which meant accessing the space under the stairs). Resetting a PIN code was a 10-minute process per door, involving taking the PIN pad apart,” said the owner.
After seeing SALTO Key as a Service (KS) at an expo, Ultimo Terraces’ owner decided it offered the perfect solution. The student’s phone becomes their ‘key’ for access to all parts of the house and is linked to a central management system via the cloud. Using their phone is an attractive and intuitive option for students, who are far less likely to lose the phone than a keycard. A flat battery is a potential risk, but Ultimo Terraces has a simple and practical solution, with a charger kept outside the front door.
Nevertheless, bedroom doors still have PIN pads or Keypads, as a backup option (in case students leave their room without their phone), but these SALTO Keypads can be programmed remotely from the central control system, rather than having to be physically taken apart. This means that changes and updates to access can be made on the fly, with no waiting for a manager to get to the house.
"As a service industry and home-away-from-home for young adults, implementing a cloud-based access control solution such as SALTO KS is operating with an eye to the future.” - Josie Rae, Marketing Manager at SALTO Systems Australia.
The Student Housing Company
The Student Housing Company is part of the Global Student Accommodation family. In Australia, they operate 4 properties housing over 1600 students. University Square in Melbourne opened its doors in July 2018, followed by The Boulevard in Perth, Infinity Place in Melbourne and most recently Park Avenue in the heart of the student precinct surrounding The University of Melbourne. With prime locations, all-inclusive rents, exceptional customer service and great community spaces, The Student Housing Company sets new standards for student accommodation providers.
Complete peace of mind for parents and students alike is an integral part of their brand promise and secure and flexible access control is an important element in delivering this. Students need to be accounted for and have access to their individual rooms, as well as various communal spaces. Some of these communal spaces are only accessible during certain hours of the day such as the swimming pool in Perth, or open to certain individuals, as is the case with the communal bathrooms split by gender at Park Avenue.
SALTO KS allows The Student Housing Company to centrally manage all their properties in real-time. For instance, the residence office can now see when a student last accessed their room which is vital for student monitoring. Notifications allow instant alerts to be sent to activity in the system based on their parameters. This has been used to identify when a student returns from a period of absence so that they can be welcomed back reliably every time.
The ability to remotely open doors also supports after-hours services. Since COVID-19, this has been used for opening the main doors for parcel deliveries and housing doors for when students are locked out. It has kept their students and staff safe by limiting human contact, while still providing the same level of service and ease of access.
“Once you learn how to efficiently use the system, it’s very simple and streamlined. The different functions are easy to navigate and simple to use.” - Becky Blakeway, General Manager of Infinity Place and University Square.
The right access control system can transform the student housing experience for both management and residents. This streamlined process can increase security while simultaneously giving students more independence and control over their spaces which while temporarily belong to them, provide them with a home away from home.
As Josie Rae points out: “Flexible security and safety measures have never been so important, and the integration possibilities with other service platforms allow these properties to truly differentiate their offering.”
To learn more about how SALTO KS benefits Ultimo Terraces, The Student Housing Company, among other spaces, visit our selection of Customer Stories.
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SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee the efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!
