Topic: Transitioning from FOB access to Phone App Access

FOB access to Phone App Access. Right now I manage a community that uses FOBs to gain access to the building and our common areas. We will be transitioning to an App based system to help enhance security and we will be adding additional secured areas. There will always be residents that don’t like change and want to refuse to use an app versus a FOB. How do you respond? This system will have no back up option. We will not be handing out hard keys and the current FOBs will no longer work. 

Thank You!
 

You guys are so lucky! I want a smart apartment!

Double edged sword. We have it at one of our properties and although good mostly, our biggest complaint is when someone goes and upgrades their phone or loses their phone. Never fails it’s a Friday or Saturday night and then they call emergency line in a panic because they can’t get in the building.
With those type systems (ours is Brivo) You as the employee have to log into Brivo and resend a new “key” to their device because it does not allow them a username and password to access their key.
October’s are always fun because the new iPhone is launched around that time lol

 I was just wondering about that. Leaves the phone at the bar late at night or phone is dead with no way to charge…

ring ring to emergency maintenance!

We are transitioning to mobile only. May I ask what platform you are using? Most residents love the ability to navigate seamlessly throughout the community without keys.
I can send you a few advantages we review with residents, if it is helpful!

 we will be using OpenVia. It’s new! We have an older system (SES) that is starting to fail and redoing the entire building right now isn’t an option. This system will take over the “brain” of the system we already have and you will use an app to be able to open doors. They explained it as your much more likely to lose your keys than to lose your phone. If I understand correctly their emails will be associated with their access. So if they get a new phone then they can just download the app again. This is our option to bridging our current system failing and shopping for a new system in the future so we are scrambling.

sounds like it’s much better than Brivo since it syncs to their email. Make sure to confirm that!

How would a middle or high school student get in without a phone or older resident with a flip phone? Both are current scenarios at our smart home community (that has metal key access as well).

at our non student housing communities, we select smart locks with PIN code back up access.

I’m not a fan of Stratis from RealPage. I’ve used open path in the past and I really liked that system.

I'm all about mobile phone access as an option, but it shouldnt be a requirement. There is times where my phone has failed me and I've had to resort to the old metal key.
No battery remaining?
What if I'm talking on the phone as I want to enter the building?
Sometimes I hand off my access card to a visitor if they're leaving for a moment to go get something. I don't want to give them my phone.

we won’t be offering hard keys for the building as we want to control access and not having to cut 100+ keys if they lose it or gives it to someone that’s doesn’t live here. (PS we are in Minneapolis so the less opportunity for losing/sharing physical means of access to the building, the better.

and when the server crashes for the app, which is bound to happen at some point, what is your contingency plan? Let's say Friday night at 11:30pm the host server stops responding.
The data nconnrction (i.e. Internet provider) is offline. The app can't communicate with the building locks. What's the backup plan?
This would be my question as a potential resident to your community.
Also, just my expedience, the more locked down things become, then the residents start propping doors open or tampering with the locks so they don't function properly.

 I was thinking about that. What if cell service is down. We just went over Mt. Hood this weekend where I usually have service 90% of the time. I didn’t have service the entire trip and worried If I had an issue and couldn’t call

the job I'm in now, I'm on call a lot and don't have time to play around with lock failures or technology failures. Something like that would be a no deal to me when looking at a place. To the contrary, the building I live in has a security officer 24/7 cameras on each floor that can see apartment doors. The elevator is access control with the regular HID cards. But with security there 24/7, there is someone who can assist with backup plans in the event of a equipment failure. I think putting all your eggs into one basket (mobile phone app) to open doors is a huge risk. People lose phones too. They get damaged, stolen, etc. I just think not having a backup option is a disaster waiting to happen.

 if the system fails we have a designated door that will default to unlocked. So they will still always have access by one door if the system fails by cellular outage or power outage. Our community does not have on site security or a concierge. We are a small community and those additional costs would raise our rent to the point that we would no longer be affordable/competitive with our area.

New to this. Are there any chances of the system being hacked?

Expect a ton of calls into yur emergency call line!

I use PDK for my 39 unit building. I also doubted a mobile-only solution especially for these Class C residents so I issue one keyfob to each adult on the lease and promote mobile use as much as possible, especially to select third parties I grant access to the building. The fobs aren’t expensive but it can sometimes be more streamlined (and normal seeming to residents) than fumbling with your phone or the reasons mentioned above.
The ability to enable/disable access, and remotely unlock is revolutionary you’re going to love it. Another factor to consider is that my PDK system also integrates directly into my Turing camera system so there’s a video entry log tied to every access attempt/entry. It’s a nice to have if you have access control and video surveillance.
PDK does use email to authorize a phone token automatically, so if a resident replaces their phone it does resend them a new token they can use immediately as long as they are willing to accept the previous will be disabled.
PDK is not perfect, access is fast and flawless with cellular and battery backup, but the UI on the management side could be slightly better, I have a few annoyances. I do have door prop alarms enabled though so those make noise when left open. I also considered Brivo, Open Path and ButterflyMX and one thing I wish we had is the ability to grant visitor or vendor access via email. I ultimately chose PDK due to the video integration, and its competitiveness amongst all the other factors.
Sorry for the long review, I hope this helped. Looking back 12 months, I’m happy I chose a fob as primary with mobile as backup. Having mobile as primary would introduce a lot of problems everyone mentioned above and I agree could turn prospective residents away.

I worry about those who may not have a phone (there are those out there) and now it becomes their expense rather than the property.

Don’t worry about it! Yeah, they’ll bitch about but eventually will get over it.
Your goal is the protect as many people as you possibly can, to provide a safe and secure environment. This new program does that.
Be prepared to respond to the dumb questions. The providers always have good training materials for residents. Phone is dead, just got a new phone, I’m talking on my phone, My mommy feeds my cat for me…

Seniors don’t always carry a smart phone or even have one. Certainly some do but not all. Should always have a second option. Even if there is a cost related to buying a fob and penalty charge if needing replacement.

I don't know. I have several residents who do not have and do not want smartphones. So do those people just not get to access their homes anymore?

luckily all my current residents have smart phones. But potential residents will have to take that into account when choosing to apply here as a smart phone will be needed to access the building.

what are the emergency options for dead battery?? Can't even call maintenance

Update: this system builds on top of our FOB system. So they can use the FOBS too. YAY!