Over the years, we have found our solutions implemented in smart and sustainable sites around the world. Ranging from maritime to real estate, we have built upon these stories by reaching out to our customers to find out what led them to SALTO KS and how they make use of it.

In this blog post, we reflect on a customer of SALTO KS who lies at the heart of technology, TNW. Also known as The Next Web, the company aims to inform, inspire and connect people who love tech, and they do exactly that. You might be familiar with the tech conference which brings together talent and thought leaders annually, most recently with their 2020 live digital conference.

TNW was founded in 2006 when co-founders Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten and Patrick de Laive were looking for a tech event to showcase their new startup. One thing led to another and they soon realized they needed to host their event to check all their boxes and in promoting this, needed a platform. This is how thenextweb.com was born which later transformed into the company which leads tech media today.

Today the company has expanded to four pillars that have given rise to TNW News, TNW Deals, TNW Conference and Events. Through stories and insights, they aim to bridge the cross-generational gap through events and workspaces. Their headquarters are found in the place where it all started, in Amsterdam.

Their mission as the centre of tech with the TNW spaces is to provide a physical space for Tech startup and smart building solutions. In order to achieve this, TNW required a smart lock solution to fit their spaces in Amsterdam for which they decided to partner with SALTO KS.

Once this collaboration started, there were a few hurdles at the beginning which motivated both parties to work through these issues to achieve a practical and reliable solution for the space at hand. These went on to be solved, and the benefit of smart locks was quickly noticed by the TNW team.

Both companies aligned on their values and positions in the wider tech community at the time and now continue to do. Today, with a total of 56 spaces, 90 doors, and 84 locks used, TNW uses SALTO KS as their access control solution.

For TNW, the main benefits of using SALTO KS are the lowered installation costs paired with cloud-based access control and having access to an app. Their ways of opening are divided across their visitors for their spaces. For instance, residents and members use Keycards while the suppliers use physical Tags. Last but not least, the TNW team and management make use of Remote Opening. As the name suggests, this way of opening is used by admins to open doors remotely. A SALTO lock can be unlocked in two ways: short and temporary, or long and continuous. A short ‘unlocking’ action is ideal for letting someone in from a distance. This unlocks the lock for about 5 seconds, providing temporary access. For longer, continuous access, a lock can also be set in ‘Office Mode’. This unlocks the door for a longer period of time, depending on the type of Office Mode.

The allocation of these ways of opening has been carried out with close consideration. The reason for Remote Opening being limited to internal staff is to avoid the risk of users accidentally activating Office Mode for the entrance doors outside of office hours. Office mode is the state a lock is in when it is continuously unlocked. This allows anyone to enter the lock without a SALTO KS Tag. The Remote Opening feature has also proven useful in times when the team has been able to save the day and open office doors for residents who have forgotten their Tags.

The SALTO KS web application and app interface have also proved most valuable according to TNW Head of facilities, Wai-Man Sun. “We’re happy to see consistent improvements and added features,” he says. The team has also looked into the prospect of integrations with their current solution and have recently started to implement OfficeRnD, which enables you to completely automate the door access control in your flexible workspace.

Looking to the future, TNW believes that the app can be even more user friendly, levelling with its high security. This is particularly with regards to the process of onboarding new users.

The SALTO KS access control system has significantly reduced management time and overhead needed to manage access and has provided the flexibility to use Tags, Keycards or Remote Opening to access the site(s) of TNW. We are proud to be entrusted with the unique and pioneering spaces of TNW and look forward to unlocking even more potential with our solutions.

To learn more about how SALTO KS benefits TNW, among other spaces, visit our selection of Customer Stories.

To read more about SALTO KS, click here or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest product features, team updates and news from the industry.

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!