Aperio wireless locks complement wired locking to secure a large French hospital

Challenge

Centre Hospitalier Métropole Savoie (CHMS) is a large new hospital built to serve the Alpine communities of Haute Savoie. The hospital employs 4,850 people and has 1,850 patient beds. As at all health facilities, security for this new hospital presents a complex challenge. It requires multiple checkpoints and access rights tailored to individual staff and contractor needs.

Requirements

∙ Access control devices to fit and manage all doors at multiple sites, including secure areas like the pharmacy

∙ A technology which removes the need for staff to carry heavy key bunches or hunt relevant keys

∙ A management interface enabling security teams to administer and maintain access control autonomously

∙ Real-time control, so managers can respond proactively including by opening/closing doors remotely

∙ System compatibility with the government’s electronic Health Professional Card (CPS)

Solution

To meet their security challenges, managers selected Aperio locking technology integrated online with an ARD access management system. Because Aperio locks are wireless, the hospital has introduced many more layers of security and secure doors without incurring excessive installation or operating costs, including for sensitive offices and drug stores where real-time control is needed.

Aperio battery-powered electronic devices integrate natively with the centralised access system, so CHMS’s wired and wireless access points are managed together, with real-time

management logs, remote door opening and free time slot management. Communication between Aperio lock, hub and system benefits from 128-bit AES encryption.

“When there are physical constraints, or when the environment does not allow for wiring, the autonomous Aperio solution allows doors to be equipped [and] user and badge-holder import to be automated,” explains Aurélien De Riols, ARD’s Sales regional Director. “This solution’s advantage is it represents a single site from an authorisation management and systems perspective.”

“We have implemented internal HR management procedures, creating badges that are automatically integrated into ARD’s operating software,” adds Alain Gestin, CHMS’s IT Systems Architect. For every site user, the advantages of carrying a single badge — instead of multiple keys — are clear.