Smart Locking Logic (SLL), a company specialising in digital locking solutions, has partnered with Keystone Electronic Solutions to develop a unique electronic locking system for remote control of access to high-security infrastructure.
The locking solution is ideal for remote utility management such as manhole covers, gates, doors, as well as a multitude of other applications.
Corrie Lourens, founder and MD of SLL, explains: “My experience in the telecoms industry made me aware that there was a real need for a locking solution to manage the ‘people’ aspect of controlling keys and access to manholes and other remote infrastructure in real-time, from a central management location. Remote locations often do not have power, and many access points are submerged in water for most of the year. ”
“The success of the solution depended on an extremely high level of integrity and real-time information. This was to be a centralised managed solution and we needed to develop a graphical user interface (GUI) showing every lock and its status, anywhere in the world, with the ability to drill down to street corner level.
“We needed to set permission on the system for access management and also provide operational staff with an electronic key, which could also be managed and tracked by a global positioning system (GPS). The key would additionally power the lock (as cables can be cut) and communicate with a central management location in real-time.”
Lourens approached Ivan Popov, director of electronics R&D specialists Keystone Electronic Solutions, to assist with the design and development of a locking solution, including both hardware and software elements.
Functional specifications were supplied to Keystone which then assisted with the detailed electronic and software definition of the development specifications. Several iterations of development and packaging took place within a period of one year to produce the final product – the GLAM (GridLock Access Management) solution.
Says Popov: “Keystone developed the graphical user interface around MySQL and made use of a Tomcat-based open source GIS server in order to interface with Google Earth clients. At that point in time, Google Earth was way ahead of any other geographical system in terms of its speed and high definition; it also cut costs dramatically by using existing software. Another benefit was that the software and maps are continually updated by Google, ensuring that the solution stays current without any additional costs.”
Since its initial development, the GLAM system has undergone a complete redesign with many feature upgrades. The current application is a unique locking solution to manage access to remote infrastructure from a central management location, or mobile smart device. The system is self-discovering, so the moment a lock is installed, it will appear on the system on the graphical view using Google Earth.
Lock management is pre-authorised and alarms and exceptions on the management system draw attention where an unauthorised attempt is being made to open a lock. The lock has been SABS certified and can be installed above and below ground, and even submerged in water.
To date the system has been extensively deployed by most major telecommunication (ECN) licensed operators in South Africa, and boasts several deployments in Africa and a management system deployment in the USA.
Over the past five years, more than 40 000 locks have been installed, with over 1000 keys in the field. Although used primarily for manhole covers and gates, the locking solution is now also being deployed on a wide range of applications to manage access to high-security infrastructure.
Lourens has nothing but praise for Keystone, saying that “Keystone has been a key technology partner in the success of the GLAM solution. Their state-of-the-art design capabilities and highly professional staff have consolidated the relationship between the two companies, and assisted SLL in attaining and keeping a competitive advantage in our industry.
“Keystone is also currently involved in a new development on the GLAM system that will see this application launched into new markets and applications with a new range of products soon to be released. The two companies have forged a unique business relationship which will see many years of close cooperation in capturing new markets with innovative products and applications,” he concludes.
For more information contact Smart Locking Logic, [email protected], Keystone Electronic Solutions, +27 (0)12 460 4135, [email protected], www.kses.net
| Tel: | +27 12 460 4135 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.kses.net |
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