Spotlight On: D.E.S. Locksmiths

Our latest Spotlight On: D.E.S. Locksmiths, we speak with Nicky Crossman, who knows more than a thing or two about access control and door entry technology, with his family owned business D.E.S. Locksmiths, having installed countless systems since it was established in 1985. As a highly valued customer of Smart R Distribution, we asked Nicky what products were currently proving to be the most popular among D.E.S Locksmith’s list of clients, which include housing associations, local government and educational authorities.

Remotely Managed Access Control Systems

“We were already regularly installing remotely managed Intratone access control solutions prior to COVID-19 having such a major impact on how people go about their daily lives. The pandemic, however, has significantly increased demand for Intratone GSM systems which can be remotely managed via the Cloud, as there is now an even greater need to minimise physical interaction between, for example, housing managers and the residents of an apartment block”, said Nicky.

“With budgets under pressure, organisations responsible for managing apartment blocks are also understandably looking at ways to minimise the ongoing operational costs of managing access control systems installed at entrances to their buildings. We are happy to recommend the fob based proximity Intratone system to our clients as it is aesthetically attractive, easy to install and cost-effective. From a security point of view, we also like the fact that Intratone uses technology which prevents fobs being cloned undetected. This is because apart from our clients missing out on the opportunity to generate additional income derived from residents who need extra fobs, there are obvious security implications in terms of unauthorised copies falling into the wrong hands.

Interactive digital noticeboard

Although not related to access control, we have also recently been providing our clients with large numbers of Intratone digital noticeboards. With the help of a 4G-IP module, these can also be remotely managed to provide residents with real-time information. In sheltered housing or care homes, this could simply be to inform them of an in-house social event or something taking pace in the wider community. The recently launched Intratone ‘interactive’ digital noticeboard is proving to be particularly popular, as it allows residents to participate in easy to complete yes/no type surveys which might cover topics such as their preferred choice of days for services, e.g. hairdressing, to be provided.”

As the UK distributor of Intratone products, Smart R is delighted to be able to help Nicky Crossman and his colleagues at D.E.S. Locksmiths ‘put the right pieces together’ when they are proposing to provide their clients with an Intratone GSM systems.