HMS Property Management

Enhancing Security and Accessibility

However, when the security of the building needs to be enhanced – and when current devices are fast becoming faulty or obsolete –the search takes on new immediacy and focus. This is exactly the situation HMS Property Management found themselves in earlier this year. Working closely with Intratone, and our portfolio of wireless access control solutions, they were able to quickly and easily transform access management for Latitude Apartments in Stoke Newington, London.

Challenge

Overseeing dwellings all across the United Kingdom, and with more than 40 years’ experience managing properties, HMS Property Management is no stranger to access control challenges.

The team had quickly identified that the systems within one of their properties, Latitude Apartments, were fast becoming unfit for purpose. The existing wired intercoms were faulty and ‘falling apart’, raising concerns amongst residents for both security and accessibility. Indeed, as the communication technology wasn’t working correctly, residents often had to walk to the front gates to let visitors in.

Similarly, the car park access was also a cause for concern. The key fobs that residents used to gain entry were part of a legacy system – and concerns arose around local workers parking in the private garage and car park spaces being rented to non-residents.

In fact, there was no control over who had access, which was a major source of worry for both residents and HMS Property Management, who had recently been appointed to act on behalf of the newly created Residents Right to Manage Company.

Solution

Looking for a long-term solution to these challenges, the team at HMS Property Management were introduced to Intratone as a potential solutions provider.

After identifying the business’ exact requirements and painpoints, Intratone proposed a solution. The Directors of the Right to Manage Company in the building itself were presented with a variety of access options, with HMS Property Management recommending Intratone’s solution as the best fit for the property. The residents agreed, and work commenced.

To replace the outdated wired intercom systems, seven SC-01 wireless intercoms were installed across the property.

The size of a coded keypad, they were chosen as they looked sleek and streamlined, and also because of their proven durability. For the car park, a tailored solution was developed which removed the need for key fobs at all: instead, when residents approach in their car, they call a specific phone number which then recognises them as residents before allowing them entry.

Connecting all of the systems together is Intratone’s secure online management portal, allowing HMS Property Management unprecedented oversight and control over the entire property’s access remotely, and in real-time.

Result

Although there were initial concerns from some residents about the technicalities of using an app on their smartphone or tablet for access control, these worries quickly abated once it was in use. In fact, the system has received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from tenants as they reap the benefits of easy-to-use and secure building access. Although the installation coincided with the start of lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was safely fitted over the course of just a week with minimal resident disturbance – all thanks to the devices’ wireless and handset-free credentials.

“During lockdown, I was able to modify resident details quickly and easily when new tenants moved in, or when existing residents left the property. I can delete phone numbers or add them to the system without any hassle at all, and these processes take less than 30 seconds on my computer – with just a few clicks.“

Sean Eckton – Director at HMS Property
Management