Would you like to modernise your office but don’t have the time, budget or desire to undertake major refurbishment work? If your offices and meeting rooms have glass doors and you want to preserve their clean, elegant appearance, there is a simple, smart solution using electronic lock cylinders.
These are ideal for implementing access control in offices without having to modify the doors or install wiring. Upgrading a workspace does not always have to involve major building work.
Electronic lock cylinders are particularly well suited to offices featuring glass, wood and high-end finishes, as they can improve security and day-to-day access management while preserving the overall aesthetic.
But how exactly do they work and what options are available? Let’s take a closer look.
Access management in the modern office
Whether you have executive offices, meeting rooms, storage areas, restricted areas or coworking spaces, a single office may contain numerous spaces with very different access requirements. And these requirements can change constantly.
A new employee joining the team, the end of a contract, an external visitor or occasional access for cleaning staff may all require changes to who is authorised to enter an area and when.
If access relies on mechanical keys, managing these changes can quickly become impractical. Keys need to be issued and collected, you need to keep track of who has a copy and, on top of that, action must be taken if one is lost.
With an effective office access control system, however, you can set permissions according to each user’s requirements and schedule without having to modify the door or replace the entire existing system.
Electronic locks can modernise doors without building work
This flexibility in the modern office is achieved by replacing a traditional mechanical lock cylinder with an electronic one, turning a conventional door into a smart access point that is much easier to manage.
At Omnitec, we have several models, including our X-RP2 cylinder. Its main advantage is undoubtedly its simplicity: you can replace the mechanical lock cylinder on virtually any door with an electronic one, without any drilling, wiring or changes to the door itself.
This is particularly useful for glass doors in offices and meeting rooms, where any alterations can complicate installation and also compromise the office aesthetic.
The X-RP2 has a compact, minimalist design that blends easily into these environments. It is also suitable for doors 35 to 100 mm thick, with extensions available in 5 and 10 mm increments.
This means you can quickly and cleanly transform a door that previously relied on a conventional key into a smart access point.
To learn more about its features and capabilities, see the X-RP2 electronic lock and its advantages on our blog.
Different access methods
Another advantage of installing smart locks in offices is that not every user needs to rely on the same access method.
Electronic locks can provide different access options for different users and situations. For example:
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MiFare card: A practical option for employees who already use a corporate access card.
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Mobile phone via Bluetooth: A virtual key using the UpKey app on a user’s mobile phone is another option.
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Pass code: This option is ideal for visitors, suppliers or external personnel who need access for a specified period only.
The last option can be implemented using FreePad, Omnitec’s keypad, which communicates with the electronic cylinder via Bluetooth. This means no wiring is required between the two devices. The keypad also features an anti-spy code system, providing an additional layer of security for offices.
OS Access: Control and traceability from a single system
Modernising your doors, however, is only part of the process. In a company with numerous meeting rooms, offices and different types of users, simplifying the management of all these permissions is equally important.
Omnitec’s OS Access software lets you centralise your office access management plan. Its cloud version is designed for use with a web browser and can be complemented by UpKey, the app that turns a mobile phone into a key while also providing a range of management and maintenance functions.
This allows your company’s administrators to manage who can access each area and modify permissions whenever necessary.
For example, you can:
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Add new users.
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Set access times and authorised areas.
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Delete a credential when someone leaves the company.
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Manage temporary access for contractors or suppliers.
And to perform these tasks remotely, you need a Gateway, which connects Bluetooth devices to the cloud and enables online features such as audits, remote credential management, battery level monitoring and remote unlocking.
An investment that evolves with your office
As you can see, modernising office access does not always mean replacing them, modifying walls or changing the existing fittings that still work perfectly well.
Electronic lock cylinders for offices, such as those offered by Omnitec, let you continue to use your existing infrastructure but with a much more flexible approach to access management.
This not only helps preserve the appearance of offices and meeting rooms, it also makes it easier to meet one of the key requirements of any modern workplace: responding quickly to change.
New employees, teams moving to different areas, temporary suppliers, visitors, external personnel… Your access system can evolve alongside your business without requiring you to continually rethink your existing facilities.
Ultimately, it’s about investing in a solution that makes better use of what you already have while simplifying the day-to-day management of your spaces.
Thinking about modernising the glass doors in your office? At Omnitec Systems, we can assess your existing facilities and help you develop an access plan that meets your team’s specific requirements. Contact us and tell us about your project!