Signature by VingCard’ Gives Designers More Choices When Specifying an Electronic Lock and Gives Guests a Better Interactive Experience
Bresslergroup’s knowledge of the hospitality industry, combined with its understanding of human interaction with devices, enabled VingCard to develop the most coveted electronic lock on the market today
Dallas | Signature by VingCard, the new electronic-locking system unveiled earlier this month in New York at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, is creating a buzz throughout the global hotel industry for its aesthetic flexibility and improved guest interaction. The user-centric Signature Series is the result of a collaborative partnership between global security giant VingCard and world renowned industrial design firm Bresslergroup of Philadelphia.
Peter Bressler, FIDSA, founder and president, said giving designers more choices when specifying an electronic lock to match a hotel’s individual design style was just one motivating factor behind Signature by VingCard. Making sure the key-card reader was the right height and easily accessible by the largest population of guests—including those with disabilities—was another, as well as improving guests’ and staff ease of use with the electronic lock.
“Hotel designers have unlimited options at their fingertips when it comes to choosing furnishings, fixtures and equipment for a hotel and guestrooms,” Bressler said. “When it comes to selecting an electronic door lock however, designers have a somewhat limited variety of hotel locking system styles to choose from – until now.”
Signature by VingCard features discrete yet stylish card-reader and lever components designed by Bresslergroup which reduce visual mass on the door. These components are available in all of VingCard’s finishes, and come in two attractive bezel card readers – Signature Trend for hotels with a modern or contemporary flair, and Signature Décor for more traditional or decorative styles.
“Never before has this level of design flexibility existed for electronic locks,” Bressler said. “Not only does Signature offer a choice for the card reader, but it now offers a wide variety of shapes and textures for door handles—many of which were created by world renowned designers.
“Equally important is the fact that for the first time an electronic lock has been designed to be virtually error proof,” he said. “VingCard told us that feedback from their ‘We Listen’ program indicated that operators wanted electronic locks that could be opened properly by guests the first time. We designed Signature to be user-friendly and intuitive for guests and staff when interacting with it.”
All the Right Moves
Tod Fitzpatrick, president of VingCard Elsafe North America, said: “We learned from Bresslergroup that looks aren’t everything. Determining where to physically place lock interface elements on the guestroom door was as important as conceptualizing its appearance. That meant determining how tall the average guest is and how far his or her reach is to the card reader.”
Bressler explained that this information was critical to the design process because guests have to interact with the lock each time they enter and exit their guestroom, Fitzpatrick said.
“The only real piece of technology that a guest MUST physically touch or interact with when entering the room is the electronic door lock,” Bressler said. “Therefore it has to work. If it doesn’t, that means the guest will have a negative experience from the moment he or she tries to open the door. That negativity can carry throughout the entire stay.”
Based on years of data compilation regarding human interaction with technology, Bresslergroup was able to correctly identify the “sweet spot” for placing the card reader and door handle.
“Bresslergroup was able to create for us a new electronic lock that: offers minimal hardware on the outside of the door to respect corridor design, provides more handle options and finishes, features an optional mechanical override with audit trail tracking, includes upgradeable core technology, and sports a modular design which provides maximum serviceability,” said Pascal Metivier, president of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality (the parent company for VingCard Elsafe) for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. “Signature also meets the physical needs of the majority of guests (keeping in mind those with physical limitations), by positioning the height of the bezel and handle appropriately. “We’d like to thank Bresslergroup for delivering such a unique and appealing product for VingCard‘s customers across the global hospitality industry,” he said.
Barb Worcester
+1 440 930 5770
