Mobile access control for visitors and employees with Nedap's NVITE and SpotUs.space app

U-Center: a modern office complex in the heart of Bucharest

Ideally situated within two of the most beautiful parks in Romania, U-Center combines in one destination all of the needs of the modern office user. U-Center is a modern office complex allocated in the heart of Bucharest. The modern office spaces create a unique energy for visitors and employees.

Need for flexible access control

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to start working from home. It is expected that working from home will be flexible after the pandemic and that not everyone will come to the office to work every day. The result is that companies have to respond to this and be able to deal flexibly with the available spaces. For U-Center, end user Forte Partners was therefore looking for an access control solution that fits to the flexible and unique energy aspect the complex has. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has created a growing safety and health awareness, a secure and touchless solution was preferred. Aspects like visitor management, mobile building access and reservations and seamless parking where essential parts of the solution they wished for.

Integration between Nedap’s technologies and SpotUs platform

Helinick is one of the pioneers of security industry in Romania. Starting from Forte Partners requirements, together with Helinick expertise in access control technologies and Parking Spotter software development experience, the three companies have developed an integrated software platform called Spot US: for digital management of the resources for (office) buildings. SpotUs allows members from organizations to book resources, check availability of the resource through mobile app or even invite visitors to access the resources (parking places, desks, meeting rooms etc.). By using SpotUs, users will have the possibility to use a solution that seamlessly connects your members with the community, resources, and services that your workplace has to offer. SpotUs is integrated with access control systems to facilitate easy access of employees or visitors in the parking or working space by simply using their smartphone, QR code or number plate.

In collaboration with Nedap, a complete solution is delivered in which Nedap’s NVITE readers are used to identify drivers arriving at the parking garage and to identify visitors and employees to get access to the entrance of the buildings via QR or mobile access. Nedap’s ANPR Lumo cameras are used to identify the license plates of employees at the parking garage.

“We are happy to cooperate with Heilinick in this great project. It is nice to see how they have created a very user-friendly app for resource management of buildings with full use of Nedap’s NVITE multi-technology reader. I am convinced that the union of Nedap and Heilinick’s technologies will lead to a very easy and satisfying user experience.” Bart van Lijf, Global Sales Director at Nedap Identification Systems.

High level services solutions for different user groups

To deliver a secure and high level of access experience towards visitors and employees, Nedap and Helinick have joined forces for the following services:

Visitor management
For the office areas, employers have the ability to add external guests to the SpotUs software. Nedap’s multi-technology readers NVITE are integrated with this software to grant efficient and fast flow entrance for visitors to the building. Nedap’s NVITE enables contactless identification and support many different technologies such as QR, smartcards, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC). For this solution, QR code based invitations can be created in the SpotUs app. The software preregisters the visitors and issues QR codes which will be qualified by the NVITE reader at the entrance. The QR codes are sent by email and are only valid in the part of the building where they need to be (ie not everywhere) and on the desired date and time.

Mobile Access
Employees have the possibility to enter the complex by using their mobile device and downloading the SpotUs app. With this app, employees can obtain a virtual badge that gives access as primary mode for entering building lobbies and walking through turnstiles and into elevators. Identification takes place based on BLE in combination with Nedap’s NVITE readers. This ensures optimization of the journey from entry to all the way to the workplace.

Mobile access is also possible for returning visitors. Visitors can download the SpotUs app and indicate when they need access. They are also identified based on BLE at entrances and elevators.

Parking access
U-Center has a car park for visitors and employees. The SpotUs software actively monitors the zones reserved for use by these groups. This active management leads to a higher efficiency and higher utilization of parking spaces and comfort for users.

• Nedap’s NVITE readers are used at the entrance of the parking garage to identify visitors based on mobile access by reading a QR code. This QR code is sent in advance to the visitor and is only valid for the day the visitor need to be there.
• For employees who use the parking garage more often, Nedap’s ANPR Lumo cameras are chosen and integrated. The ANPR Lumo camera is an all-in-one license plate camera that can identify vehicles based on their license plate. With a range of action of 2 to 10 meters, the advanced camera ensures a smooth recognition of vehicles. Employees need to reserve a parking space via the SpotUs app beforehand, so only autorized vehicles can access the parking garage on the right day and time.

“We made this “touchless interaction” possible due to our full integration with Nedap technology. Nedap’s ANPR Lumo is granting the user access to the building’s parking, based on the number plate inserted into our platform. Nedap’s NVITE is allowing the employees and visitors to access doors, turnstiles and elevators by using the SpotUs Virtual Badge from the mobile app or by scanning the visitor’s QR code. We truly believe that SpotUs app together with Nedap technology, will improve the user’s experience while attending the office and will provide to tenant’s administrator powerful BI information regarding the usage of the space and possible future improvements.” Ovidiu Ciurte, Co-Founder of SpotUs Space.

Nedap’s multi-technology reader NVITE

Nedap’s NVITE reader was selected for this project because of multiple reasons:

• It provided all the technology needed, because it can read multiple technologies (such as QR, BLE, NFC and smartcards) for a variety of users.
• The product is of high quality.
• It is flexible and easy to integrate with other access control systems. In this way you can add your own login details and you are not dependent on a system from another party.
• Mobile ID Protocol has been integrated into the NVITE solution. Nedap’s Mobile ID wireless communication protocol is based upon BLE and NFC. With this, the NVITE reader and third party application will perform secure authentication.

Providing a high level of seamless access experience

The combination of Nedap’s readers and SpotUs software have proven to be a perfect solution for U-Center complex. The different systems and devices communicate and interact seamlessly with each other that is needed to deliver the high level of services, security and flexibility U-Center wants for its user groups. Employees and visitors are guaranteed a parking space and a place to work in the building or get easy access to their appointment. New employees can easily be added in the app and virtual IDs can be created. This also saves a lot of time and costs. In addition, it is also possible to expand this for access to additional services, such as the salon, gym and restaurants in the buildings.

“At Forte Partners, we see multiple advantages for our tenants from the use of the SpotUs Building Application, principally allowing the user the real-time visualization of the building’s resources, including parking, desk and meeting room availability with an easy to use and flexible reservation system. Beyond this, the virtual security badge for easy access, simple visitor QR invitation and touchless route which includes smartphone use in calling elevators, result in an immediate improvement in the user’s interaction with the building on a daily basis. The data generated from the use of this Building Application is of great value to our tenants.” Stephen Burke, Construction Director at Forte Partners.