What are the key requirements for secure access control?

dormakaba offers products, solutions and services for secure access to buildings and spaces. The company is part of the dormakaba International Holding GmbH. "With more than 15,000 employees in over 130 countries, we are available to our customers and partners everywhere," said Product Marketing Manager Access Control Barend Klop. 

"We know the specific (country) requirements and regulations, we have an eye and ear for market needs, we ask the right questions and we take every aspect into account to achieve smart, safe and reliable access control solutions. Our c-lever electronic access control hardware fits this seamlessly."

"Door hardware does not stand alone, but is part of a wide range of access control products," Klop knows. "After all, not only each door function, but also its operation can vary greatly. Just think of all interior and exterior doors, fire doors, sliding doors, automatic revolving doors, turnstiles, wooden, metal and glass doors that need to be opened and/or closed mechanically or electrically as desired. The company provides this with an extensive range of hardware components and control systems for access control and security. With our solutions, building managers can easily control, from one location, who has access to which rooms and when. Residents, employees, contractors and/or visitors can move through a building or space properly and quickly on this basis, while unauthorized persons are kept out."

With over 150 years of experience in security and access control and millions of products installed worldwide, dormakaba's reputation for control, security, reliability and longevity is second to none. 

"To maintain this reputation in the future, we support from the consulting and design phase to installation and maintenance," Klop said. "Based on, among other things, location, building, accessibility, number and type of doors, user profile and number of users, we like to select the right solutions for each project. In doing so, we have an emphatic eye for current standards and requirements. But also for a consistent appearance and recognizability, so that instruction and operation are simplified. Without sacrificing safety, of course."

Thoughtful design concept 

Because of the piece of recognizability and uniformity, an increasing proportion of dormakaba products are being implemented in the XEA design; a well thought-out design concept that unites basic shapes, colors, surfaces and functions in one uniform appearance and builds an aesthetic bridge between, for example, door hardware, card readers, cylinders and door closers. The c-lever electronic access control hardware was also developed in accordance with this design and stands out through its classic appearance, high level of user-friendliness and wide range of applications.

"c-lever is universally applicable in homes, apartment buildings, healthcare facilities, hotels, offices, government buildings, retail and industry, among others," Klop emphasizes. "Here, the software determines the function of the door shield: from stand alone to integration into a wireless network."

The hardware is compatible with virtually all standard cylinder locks. "Moreover, it can be installed on almost any wooden, glass or metal surface. As a result, the system integrates into virtually any (door) design."    

For control, administrators can choose from a wide variety of access media, from pass to transponder, key with RFID chip or smartphone.

A suitable hardware solution for every demand

Within the program, dormakaba distinguishes three variants: c-lever pro, c-lever air and c-lever compact. "c-lever pro refers to a high-quality door shield for interior and exterior doors, which meets very high standards in terms of robustness, weather resistance and security (SKG^**)," Klop said. 

"In addition to protection against burglary and fire, c-lever pro can be used for emergency exits and escape routes. What is also unique is that the system has been made suitable for people with dementia in nursing homes. Thanks to the TouchGo version, residents can use the door handle as they are used to, while the door fitting regulates authorizations imperceptibly and only by touching the door handle. The hand is the access card, so to speak. In this way we also offer this target group the convenience and proven security of a Dormakaba solution."

c-lever compact is ideally suited for interior doors in wood, metal or glass and combines stylish design with a wide range of functions. "Thanks to its innovative design, this door fitting can even be installed upside down, which is ideal, for example, for doors in tight spaces or doors where the cylinder is located above the latch," says Klop. 

"Finally, with c-lever air, we are responding to the aesthetic desire of many architects and building users. This electronic access control hardware is ultra-flat and sleek in design and even the thinnest electronic hardware currently available on the market! The elegant design has already won several design awards and is perfectly at home in modern offices, museums and galleries, for example. With this, we literally offer a suitable hardware solution for every demand, every user and every building."