ZigBee enhances guestroom security

Ember ZigBee-enables wireless in-room security and management system from SAFLOK

BOSTON, May 6, 2008 – ZigBee technology from Ember is helping hotels keep their guests’ valuables safe and secure while providing a better customer experience and more efficient hotel operation. The company partnered with SAFLOK, a leading hospitality security technology provider, to ZigBee-enable their wireless in-room systems around the world.

For example, SAFLOK Messenger can remotely report “door ajar” messages, enable the front desk to remotely cancel keys in the event of a lost master key, remotely add and change room access, and enable real-time staff locating, allowing management to monitor staff or contractors throughout the property.

SAFLOK has implemented Ember’s ZigBee technology in its SAFLOK Messenger bi-directional wireless network system. SAFLOK Messenger converts standalone, battery-operated hotel room door locks into intelligent communications devices to streamline security and maximize staff efficiency. It expedites the check-in process, enhances guest convenience, reduces expenses, and optimizes staff utilization.

“Providing enhanced guestroom technology that delight guests and improve personnel efficiencies is becoming a competitive differentiator for hotels that are seeking to offer a more up-market experience,” said Kerry Hirschy, senior vice president of sales and marketing for SAFLOK. “The beauty of Ember’s ZigBee technology is that it enables SAFLOK customers to easily utilize and wirelessly upgrade the systems and infrastructure they already have in place without costly retrofitting to offer that upscale experience.”

SAFLOK Messenger uses Ember’s EM250 ZigBee system-on-chip and EmberZNet PRO networking software platform, which supports the ZigBee PRO Feature Set, to communicate wirelessly throughout a large facility. ZigBee networks are self-organizing, self-healing and can operate for years on inexpensive batteries, making them ideal for hotels, motels, resorts and other hospitality applications.

“For more than 30 years, many of the world’s best hotels have relied on SAFLOK to provide security solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry,” said Dennis Natale, Ember’s director of sales for the Americas. “The fact that SAFLOK is embracing ZigBee solutions from Ember for this critical application is a reflection of the robustness and reliability of this technology.”

ZigBee: Wireless Control That Simply Works
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance is a rapidly growing, non-profit industry consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, technology providers, OEMs, and end-users worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at http://www.zigbee.org.

About SAFLOK
SAFLOK is member of the Kaba Group. As a market innovator it has nearly 30 years of experience designing, manufacturing, and distributing electronic locks. Its solutions are delivered globally to the hospitality, lodging, and commercial markets. SAFLOK is committed to delivering best-in-class locking solutions that help properties achieve improved operations and reduced costs.

About Ember Corporation
Ember Corporation develops ZigBee wireless networking technology that enables companies involved in energy technologies – enertech – to help make buildings and homes smarter, consume less energy, operate more efficiently, and keep people comfortable and safe. Ember’s low-power wireless technology can be embedded into a wide variety of devices to be part of a self-organizing mesh network. Ember is headquartered in Boston and has its radio development center in Cambridge, England, and distributors worldwide. The company is a promoter and Board member of the ZigBee Alliance and its platform is the “Golden Suite” for 802.15.4/ZigBee interoperability testing. For more information, please visit http://www.ember.com.

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