Gantner pairs existing campus cards with modern lockers to deliver convenience & security
To learn more about the wide range of features available with contactless locker systems, CR80News asked Gantner’s Pichler a series of “what if” questions.
CR80News: What if some one tries to break into a contactless locker? Are there any safety mechanisms in place to deter vandalism and/or theft?
Pichler: All smart locking systems store a time-stamped history of openings and closings, meaning operators can easily view who opened which locker and when. For additional security and protection again vandalism, the networked locking system is alarmed and installed completely within the locker corpus, leaving no locking components on the door, and no possibility for vandalism.
CR80News: What happens if a user forgets which locker they used?
Pichler: If a user forgets which locker they used, system administrators can easily check either via the locker management software, or via a connected info terminal, which locker was used. Via kiosks or conveniently located checkpoint readers, students can tap their ID card to the reader to verify the locker currently in use by that card. This data is held in the software for networked systems and can be written to the card itself for standalone systems.
CR80News: What if someone checks out a locker but keeps it indefinitely? Can you limit the time to avoid someone tying it up for extended periods?
Pichler: After an allotted time or following an overstay, the system could be set to either block access to the locker or open it automatically at a defined time. If the locker is blocked, the student would need to contact the admin office to get it released and might incur a fee. Alternatively if the policy says no overnight locking, for example, the system could automatically open all the locked lockers at a defined time (e.g. midnight) and staff would remove any remaining items.
CR80News: What if someone checked out every locker as a prank? Can you prevent one user from checking out multiple lockers at the same time?
Pichler: Yes, the system could be configured to set the number of lockers that can be used with a single student card to a maximum of one locker per student. In a networked system, this can be controlled at the software level, and in a standalone system the status can be written to the card itself.