1 Nov 2007

ARX first to use Hi-O

ASSA ABLOY has taken a significant step in realizing its Hi-O vision with the integration of Hi-O into its popular ARX access control system.

As announced to a keen audience at the SECTECH expo in Stockholm, Sweden, in mid-October, the latest ARX release from ASSA utilizes Hi-O’s IP technology to “ask the door” for information.

Tools in ARX can now be used to create reports, such as an initial deployment reports, and provide complete and detailed lists of components within each door environment.

Generating this kind of information is a first step towards realizing the full benefits of Hi-O, which was created to meet industry demands for better diagnostic capabilities and detailed status reports for door environments, paving the way for remote configuration, door monitoring and preventative maintenance.

Early next year ASSA, which developed ARX for the Scandinavian market, will offer Release 2, which facilitates information to be pushed from the door to the central system, providing greater support for service and maintenance.

Magnus Eriksson, product manager for electromechanical locks at ASSA’s Electronic Door Solutions, says Hi-O has been described as “the last link in the networked security system.”

“This first phase of ARX and Hi-O integration will make the work of both systems integrators and installers much easier,” Eriksson says. “Often the greatest complaints people have is they don’t know that their door has been installed as specified, or that they don’t know what components are in the door environment. This release provides the answers to those questions.”

Eric Michélsen, director of Interconnectivity Platforms at ASSA ABLOY Shared Technologies, says Hi-O takes the idea that any device can be networked, and applies it to the door.

“With the integration of Hi-O into ARX, ASSA is the first access control company that can offer the market a fully monitored door that not only can identifies all its devices but also can tell whether or not they are all up and running. This brings tremendous peace of mind for the security director and provides an important step in the evolution towards a truly networked security system.
 
“Undoubtedly, the future of the security industry is in becoming more IT oriented. As the market leader, ASSA ABLOY's strategy is to drive that change with innovative solutions like Hi-O."