Campus Apartments Installs Smart Security for Smart Living

by Katie Sloan
Campus Apartments Installs Smart Security
for Smart Living

Mention Campus Apartments and anyone with knowledge of the privatized student housing market will tell you that the company is a leader in developing, managing and owning high-quality off-campus real estate. Campus Apartments does more than live up to its “smart living” tagline; it delivers on it by offering a state-of-the-art living environment in 23 states with 26,000 beds.

Mention Campus Apartments and anyone with knowledge of the privatized student housing market will tell you that the company is a leader in developing, managing and owning high-quality off-campus real estate. Campus Apartments does more than live up to its “smart living” tagline; it delivers on it by offering a state-of-the-art living environment in 23 states with 26,000 beds.

Leveraging its experience in virtually every kind of student housing asset possible, Campus Apartments integrates technology and cutting-edge solutions for the benefit and convenience of the resident while maximizing the property’s performance. As Nick Zaferes, vice president, facilities and engineering, explains, “As a leader in the student housing industry, Campus Apartments is constantly implementing the best in operational means, methods, products and technologies.”

One of the ways Campus Apartments has implemented this is through security, particularly its lock and key system. Campus Apartments is an early adopter of RFID electronic lock technology, selecting the SAFLOK brand of RFID security and access control technology — the SAM (Security Access Manager) RF operating system and the InSync line of electronic locks.

SAM RF and the InSync locks operate on contactless RFID technology. The complete package consists of the software, the key encoder that doubles as the electronic lock programmer and interrogator, the locks, and the RF key. In the case of the SAM RF system, the RF key contains a chip embedded in the barrel. Access information is stored on the chip and “tells” the lock whether to permit or deny access. While the RF key is inserted in the key port, there is no physical contact between the barrel and the lock, as information is communicated via RF waves. The key can be inserted in any direction and will still be read.

The InSync line includes five different locking options: InSync D (deadbolt), InSync M (mortise), InSync I (interconnect), InSync Latch (cylindrical latch), and an array of InSync C (common area) options. The locks are standalone and do not require any wiring. They are powered by an “AA” battery pack which needs to be changed about every two years, depending on the use.
With electronic locks securing each of its buildings, Campus Apartments has control of its premises.

“The SAFLOK system provides the highest level of controlled entrance protocol, and best security for our residents,” says Zaferes.

The ability to monitor entrance and exit history, coupled with simple change-out methods, provides Campus Apartments with the flexibility needed to manage the complexity and the high turnover rates associated with student housing. Having an electronic lock system that stores an audit trail is a vital tool in monitoring access and managing risks. To that end, the resident unit locks store about 200 entries while the common area locks retain about 2,000 use-history records.

The system also streamlines the end of semester turns, making this part of the business more efficient for the property managers. They are no longer faced with the cumbersome task of physically changing locks or keeping track of which residents returned their key.

Further, keeping track of keys used by contractors is no longer a hassle. With the selectable programming feature offered by the system, the locks can be reprogrammed quickly, and contractor keys can be programmed to automatically deactivate at the end of the workday, eliminating any unauthorized use with the key. The SAFLOK system has significantly improved operational efficiency, and lowered the costs of facilities management.

And how have the residents responded to an electronic locking system? The InSync D locks and the system have been well received across all Campus Apartments communities. Among some of the more compelling benefits has been the ability to use one electronic key to maintain access to the resident’s unit, bedroom, and all of the property’s amenities.

“This feature provides our residents with the ultimate in privacy and security,” says Zaferes. Using SAFLOK, resident keys can also be programmed to provide secured entrance into common areas such as pools, fitness centers, study rooms and lounge areas. A single key provides the resident with security and convenience enabling, personalized and controlled entrance into all areas of the facility.

“SAFLOK is truly an innovator and electronic lock technology has helped us satisfy demands for efficiency and flexibility,” says David Adelman, president and chief executive officer of Campus Apartments. “Its proven performance makes it a long-term solution with an impact on multifamily residential security as a whole and we’re pleased to have InSync installed in our buildings.”

— Randall Shearin

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