The Technische Universität Berlin goes for security with IKON “VERSO CLIQ pays for itself again with every alteration!”

Berlin – The Technische Universität Berlin is going for the security of ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH: With at the present time 6 000 locking cylinders in the TU Berlin the largest VERSO CLIQ system so far has been installed. With VERSO CLIQ from IKON highly developed microelectronics with intelligent data encryption was integrated into a secure mechanical locking cylinder system.

The Technische Universität Berlin with around 30 000 students and 7 000 staff is among the largest technical universities in Germany. Its seven faculties cover about 600 000 m2 on several sites in the Federal capital. The history of the TU Berlin does not just start with its reestablishment in 1946. The roots reach back into the 18th century when Frederick the Great founded the Berliner Bergakademie in 1770, one of the three most significant forerunners of the TU Berlin. The two other institutions are the Bauakademie set up in 1799 and the Gewerbeakademie opened in 1821. The Bauakademie and the Gewerbeakademie were merged in 1879 to form the Königliche Technische Hochschule zu Berlin; in 1916 the Bergakademie was added.  In 1946 the former Technische Hochschule Berlin was refounded by the British occupying power as the Technische Universität Berlin. Today the TU Berlin – unlike most of the other technical universities – offers a wide range of subjects: Alongside the main focuses in engineering and the sciences, research and teaching is also carried on in urban and environmental planning, humanities, social sciences and business sciences at the TU Berlin.

Important: Security and flexibility

There is no question that in the face of the comprehensive research activity and high frequentation a good security concept for the various sites must be put into application.  “With a system of this size alongside security we also want flexibility,” explains Harald Briks, responsible for locking matters at the Technische Universität Berlin. “Alongside high loss of keys, we recorded a lot of internal thefts. To counteract this and at the same time guarantee the protection of data and research results, we decided in favour of VERSO CLIQ by IKON. At the same time the mechatronic locking system, which combines mechanics with electronics, also ensures the flexibility at the TU Berlin: VERSO CLIQ simply and cheaply accompanies relocations or other organizational changes as the relevant locking cylinders can be programmed at any time individually and to the day with the software - without the expensive replacement of locking cylinders.  Also authorized access to a lost key can be immediately removed by reprogramming the cylinders. If there is the suspicion of internal theft, it can be established by analysis of the event recorder who entered the room and when. With the introduction of VERSO CLIQ thefts at the TU Berlin went down to zero,” explains Harald Briks. “The knowledge about the selection possibility represents a very high psychological inhibition threshold for potential perpetrators. We now no longer have a problem with internal thefts.”

The big bunch of keys is passé

A further advantage of VERSO QLIQ for the TU Berlin is in the ease of use: With VERSO CLIQ a big bunch of keys is a thing of the past. “The locking system can now be operated with one key,” according to Briks. “With the size of system such as ours too many keys were in use which was to the detriment of overview and organization and would have compromised security in the long term.” All doors and the safety cabinets for the fire service can be opened with a master key. “In emergencies we are on the safe side.”

Modular system for great variability

The VERSO CLIQ modular system too has persuaded the locking system specialist of the TU Berlin. The system makes the locking cylinder modifiable in length by means of various extensions and the connection via a crossbar. So the locking cylinders no longer need to be replaced at a restructuring or relocation but can be extended without great effort and thus be fitted to any door leaf thickness. Because of the modular system we save time and money,” Harald Briks is pleased. A further argument for VERSO CLIQ is the power supply: With it the power supply and also the communication with the locking cylinder takes place exclusively via key and programming key. Conversion work on the doors and expensive wiring procedures are therefore not needed. VERSO CLIQ is supplied plug-and-play and needs no connection to a network. Power is supplied via a commercially available battery in the key that can be replaced in no time at all.

VERSO stands for complete satisfaction

“We are 100 percent satisfied with the VERSO CLIQ system. It is now possible for us to set access authorizations for every door at the university, to record all opening and locking procedures and to react flexibly to restructurings” according to Briks. “The service and support from ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik are also excellent. Even change requests, as we used to have for example with the software, are taken into consideration by ASSA ABLOY. That is just great.”

Highly intelligent system with future

In future too the Technische Universität is going for security from IKON: “it is exactly the possible integration of time and data logging and also payment and parking management systems that is a very important issue for an institution such as the TU Berlin,” according to Briks. “For us VERSO CLIQ is an investment in long-term economic efficiency. Loss of keys and relocations that resulted in the replacement of the locking cylinders with our old mechanical locking system are several times over more expensive than the installation of the VERSO system. VERSO CLIQ is not just a locking system but a highly intelligent system solution that pays for itself again with each lost key and each new configuration!”