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iLoq Changes the Way We Lock
This new lock from iLoq looks no different than any other – and the same goes for its key. In truth, though, they are anything but ordinary.
The electronic locking system developed by the Oulu-based company iLoq Oy is crammed with the latest in technological advances. The company's Managing Director Mika Pukari explains: "iLoq has developed a new and innovative lock based on digital technology, which has already revolutionized so many other sectors. The new iLoq S10 locking solution enhances security, makes lock systems easier to install and maintain, and offers numerous logistical and economic benefits," says Pukari. The system is intended especially for office, business, and industrial premises and housing companies, but iLoq is also developing a version for smaller units such as single-family homes. Electromechanical cylinder to replace conventional cylinders
At the heart of iLoq's system is its electromechanical or mechatronic lock cylinder, which replaces the old, conventional and mechanical lock cylinders. No other changes are needed. The iLoq can be installed at new construction sites or used to easily upgrade the locks of existing buildings. When the key is pushed into the cylinder, a number of things occur in an instant. The cylinder verifies the key's access rights using a secure identification process. Because access rights data are encrypted, the keys cannot be copied. If the key has the required rights, the lock accepts the key. What is more, the action of pushing the key into the lock generates the tiny amount of electricity needed by the key and the lock, which makes the iLoq system completely self-powered: no batteries or wiring are needed. All keys and cylinders are identical, and access rights are entered electronically using very strong encryption with an iLoq programming device, the internet, or a mobile phone.
Security the greatest benefit
The iLoq's locking system meets an obvious need. The maintenance of all extensive mechanical lock systems is laborious and costly. Keys are lost, their users change and locks need to be keyed repeatedly. In fact, the principal benefit of the iLoq system compared to old locking systems is security and easy maintenance. Everyone is familiar with this scenario: someone loses a key to an apartment in an apartment building. The lock of the apartment has to be rekeyed but the security of the building is compromised nonetheless. The lost key will still provide access to the staircase and common areas, for instance. In contrast, in the iLoq system lost keys are simply blacklisted, rendering them useless. "The security of the new system will remain high and will not deteriorate over time," says Pukari.
Award-winning innovation
The iLoq system has undoubtedly received more awards than most other Finnish innovations in 2008. In May, it received first prize in the series 'Physical security product of the year' at the Ifsec security fair in Birmingham, UK. The system was also nominated as a candidate for the acclaimed international Detektor award, and just recently it came top in the Finnish Innosuomi competition within the North Ostrobothnia region, consequently becoming a candidate for the national prize. The winner of the Detektor and Innosuomi awards will be decided later this year. "The awards are proof that we are on the right track and have succeeded in developing something that is genuinely new. What´s most important, however, is that our system is gaining commercial success, too," says Pukari. iLoq has recently been installed in, for example, the Technopolis technology center in Helsinki's Ruoholahti district and at the Levi resort in Lapland. The company's marketing efforts are currently focusing on Finland and Scandinavia.
At the heart of iLoq's system is its electromechanical or mechatronic lock cylinder, which replaces the old, conventional and mechanical lock cylinders. No other changes are needed. The iLoq can be installed at new construction sites or used to easily upgrade the locks of existing buildings. When the key is pushed into the cylinder, a number of things occur in an instant. The cylinder verifies the key's access rights using a secure identification process. Because access rights data are encrypted, the keys cannot be copied. If the key has the required rights, the lock accepts the key. What is more, the action of pushing the key into the lock generates the tiny amount of electricity needed by the key and the lock, which makes the iLoq system completely self-powered: no batteries or wiring are needed. All keys and cylinders are identical, and access rights are entered electronically using very strong encryption with an iLoq programming device, the internet, or a mobile phone.
Security the greatest benefit
The iLoq's locking system meets an obvious need. The maintenance of all extensive mechanical lock systems is laborious and costly. Keys are lost, their users change and locks need to be keyed repeatedly. In fact, the principal benefit of the iLoq system compared to old locking systems is security and easy maintenance. Everyone is familiar with this scenario: someone loses a key to an apartment in an apartment building. The lock of the apartment has to be rekeyed but the security of the building is compromised nonetheless. The lost key will still provide access to the staircase and common areas, for instance. In contrast, in the iLoq system lost keys are simply blacklisted, rendering them useless. "The security of the new system will remain high and will not deteriorate over time," says Pukari.
Award-winning innovation
The iLoq system has undoubtedly received more awards than most other Finnish innovations in 2008. In May, it received first prize in the series 'Physical security product of the year' at the Ifsec security fair in Birmingham, UK. The system was also nominated as a candidate for the acclaimed international Detektor award, and just recently it came top in the Finnish Innosuomi competition within the North Ostrobothnia region, consequently becoming a candidate for the national prize. The winner of the Detektor and Innosuomi awards will be decided later this year. "The awards are proof that we are on the right track and have succeeded in developing something that is genuinely new. What´s most important, however, is that our system is gaining commercial success, too," says Pukari. iLoq has recently been installed in, for example, the Technopolis technology center in Helsinki's Ruoholahti district and at the Levi resort in Lapland. The company's marketing efforts are currently focusing on Finland and Scandinavia.
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