Say Goodbye to Your Keys – NFC Revolutionising Home Security

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NFC PhoneWe live in modern and progressive times and technology is changing everything at a terrific pace; communication, entertainment, and transport are all changing on a day-to-day basis. However, there is still something that has not changed in almost two hundred years. At least, until now! Entire generations have opened their home doors using their never-found-when-needed keys. Yale has now introduced a new system that is as high-tech as any other modern technology. Yale Real Living is a state of the art door lock for front doors that takes advantage of Near Field Communication (NFC), the radio communication standard developed only recently by the mobile industry.

Will NFC Technology Change Our Lives?

Downloading an app for smartphones, homeowners can get a signal which allows them to easily unlock their door, without a key. Once the app is launched, they get ten seconds to unlock the door by keeping the mobile at a distance of no more than a couple of inches. From the same app it is possible to coordinate several locks. It’s not too dissimilar the contactless Oyster swipe cards used on the London Underground.

But Are There Any Benefits?

Mobile NFC access gives users complete control over their house, even when keys are lost. Leaving a copy of the front door keys to the nanny is not an issue anymore; because homeowners can send their digital keys from their mobile phone to the person they want to give access to. That person instantly receives the key on their mobile and is then able to access their home when needed.  No more worrying about the babysitter making key copies that could fall into the wrong hands. Thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi, if the lock is tied in with a home control system, it is possible to disarm the security system, turn the light and the TV on by simply opening the door. The options are limitless. The lock is set up so that each family member can have their own code; each lock can have up to 250 registered users. The second a code is typed in, the house knows who has entered, so different things can happen. For example, parents can automatically receive a text message when their little son comes home from school, showing that their beloved has safely arrived home. In the event that the mobile is broken, lost or stolen, the users can immediately remove the access key through online access. Digital keys can be assigned and withdrawn with a simple click of the mouse. This system is only available for smartphones that support Near Field Communication. At the moment a few tens of millions of mobile devices provide this opportunity, but more NFC-enabled smartphones are about to come in the next years. Undoubtedly, there will be a whole host of unforeseen issues with this technology, but I think once the glitches are ironed out, NFC could genuinely transforms our day-to-day lives and hopefully help to streamline our lives. Ben Holbrook works for Yale composite doors and is inspired by modern technology developments.