University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW): new access standard for five sites

Basel, Münchenstein, Muttenz, Olten, Windisch. Thousands of doors open and close every day at five FHNW campuses. Until recently, they did so with ViNet offline fittings, a technology that had seen better days and was strongly tied to a single manufacturer. As a result, new sites or expansions could only be realised with components from the same manufacturer.

The project was coordinated by the Basel office, located only a short distance away from the FHNW campuses.

From closed system to open standard

The FHNW therefore decided to switch to OSS – the Open Security Standard. This works independently of manufacturers and can be combined with various access control systems. At the same time, the FHNW switched its badges to state-of-the-art Advant technology. This required a second step: Securiton first made the existing readers compatible with Advant before bringing them up to the latest technological standards. The open standard also protects the investment made by the FHNW: if a manufacturer changes or the system is expanded, the FHNW remains flexible.

Centrally organised, locally independent

Access management is organised centrally. However, each site retains its own local responsibilities. Building managers administer their access rights independently depending on the authorisation level. The project team also took university operations into account: as lessons and examinations are a constant factor, Securiton and the FHNW moved the renovations to the semester break where possible. At the Musik-Akademie Basel, this was even mandatory. The rooms could only be adapted during the holidays so as not to disrupt ongoing operations.

Modernisation with added value

The project remained within budget, even if it took slightly longer due to necessary firmware adjustments. Today, the access solution is based on Advant technology, the OSS standard and an up-to-date security level that replaces the previous Prime technology. Events from the offline fittings can also be transferred back to the access system, which improves traceability.

The FHNW is very satisfied with the new solution. The collaboration continues in a spirit of partnership, with new extensions added almost every week and further expansion steps already in planning together with Securiton.

Five locations, one standard. And many doors to come.