Legic secure sports lockers in the windy city
01 October, 2003
category: Contactless
LEGIC has carried out its first sports installation in the USA, with Häfele America Co equipping 500 lockers in a premier new fitness centre in Chicago with LEGIC-based LockerLocks.
The 5000 member capacity Holmes Place ‘River East’ studio is part of the Holmes Place chain, with headquarters in London (England), who operate fitness centres throughout Europe and the USA. The new club is upmarket in appearance and luxurious in atmosphere, and the twenty-strong project development team wanted only the very best from all contractors involved in constructing and equipping the club.
Although LockerLock had never previously been used in the USA, Häfele America Co recommended LEGIC-based technology to the customer. A key feature of the pitch was the possibility of implementing multiple applications combined with LockerLock’s unique Day Use Function, a self-managing key solution. An absolute requirement from the outset was for the club’s plastic membership cards to be printed with the picture and barcode of the individual member using the existing printer and member management software.
In addition to basic LockerLock functions, membership administration and a billing system has also been integrated, as a single chip card solution utilising LEGIC’s multi-application capacity. Further to this, the club is also investigating further potential applications to add at a later date. These include: loyalty, cash payments, vending machine payments and exercise data for member services, and time and attendance and vending machine payments for staff.
Use of staff keys to open any lockers is recorded by the lock and can be retrieved via an audit trail facility if required. This is achieved using the lock’s Dialock Complete Programming Software Module – Personnel and the Windows CE PDA data transfer software to create staff keys. This software enables the club to manage staff access, including dates and times, to doors and storage areas.
For members, using the new LockerLock is even easier! The LockerLocks are configured using the Dialock programming option; “Day Use”. A member can select any available locker at any time. By pushing the button with their member key, it then becomes the authorised key for that lock. When the lock is later unlocked with the same key it then becomes ‘vacant’ and is free for use by another member. On their next visit to the club, the process is simply repeated with any available locker. This eliminates the need for attendants to distribute and collect locker keys, resulting in significant annual savings in club operating costs.
The actual lockers in the Holmes Place installation were manufactured in South Africa and the LockerLock’s manufactured in Germany. Both were then shipped to the USA and installed in Chicago. The local installer was able to program the desired locking plan on site with programming tools allowing for easy transfer of the appropriate configuration data. Since the locking plan is programmed and not a mechanical function, it is easy to change by downloading a new lock plan when required.
LEGIC’s LockerLock is more than just a locking system, it is a central element of an integrated multi-application solution at the Holmes Place ‘River East’ studio delivering the latest technological benefits for the comfort and convenience of the members.
Further information:
John O’Meara
Häfele America Co
Marcel Germann
LEGIC Identsystems Ltd
Tel: +41 1 933 6432
Press enquiries:
Keith Carey
Bamboo PR
[email protected]