Hotel Online  Special Report

Onity Previews Latest Innovation in Hotel
Locking Systems at IH/M&RS
New OS �elite� series e-lock is the result of years of worldwide research to determine what guests, hoteliers, and designers need from the electronic locking-system market

Atlanta, GA � Nov. 10, 2003 � Onity (formerly TESA Entry Systems, Inc.), the leading global provider of electronic control solutions, will preview its next generation electronic lock for the upscale hospitality market at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show. Based on years of cooperative research worldwide among hotel chains, hoteliers, (including owners, general managers, operations and security executives), interior designers, and end-users, and an innovative development process in conjunction with Philadelphia-based Bresslergroup, Onity will introduce its OS �elite� series in 2004.

"We are extremely excited about the new OS �elite� series e-lock and about giving hoteliers a �sneak peek� at such an important and high profile industry event," said Pascal Metivier, Onity's Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. "The OS �elite� series is truly revolutionary because it was created based on the needs and wants of hotel professionals and end-users. Onity made a big investment, both in time and money, to execute a rigorous R&D process, and the OS �elite� series is the result. It is truly the locking system for high-end hotels for the millennium."

He said the hotel corridor is the first impression of the guestroom and the location where research participants said manufacturers need to improve on their lock designs for style and functionality.

�What we learned from the study we commissioned was that decision-makers welcome a new electronic lock that improves aesthetics and ease of use, without compromising security,� Metivier said.

More than 10,000 hoteliers, interior designers and architects revealed that:

  • Hotel guests are confused by the variety of electronic locks currently on the market. Bresslergroup research shows that there are 14 different ways in which guests have to use key-cards in the various locks they encounter.
  • Electronic locks are not pleasing from a design/aesthetic standpoint. The research showed that locks do not blend well into high-end hotels' design schemes.
  • Most electronic locks currently in the marketplace have failed to address the subtle physical and psychological needs of today's hotel guests.
�What we found through this extensive research is that high-end hotels in particular want every element of the hotel � from interior design to technology/hardware design � to be visually appealing to each and every user,� Metivier said. �With that in mind, Onity has created a first-of-its-kind e-lock that is design-centric in nature and appeals to the most sophisticated, discerning tastes.�

Patented new feature

During the R&D process, Onity took into account all the ergonomic aspects of lock placement, and then began to test the psychological aspects associated with key-card entry. Onity then patented a new Groove and Arrow concept that would virtually eliminate human error with the insertion process. Onity�s fool-proof �Groove and Arrow� icon on the card reader and repeated on the keycard enables guests to line up the groves and arrows to insert the keycard the correct way every time.

�What we found was that the grooved readers and keycards scored 276 percent higher for �inserting the keycard in the correct position the first time� than those without grooves. Onity will provide patented ergonomically correct keycards with the OS �elite� system,� Metivier said.

Designed for the times

Onity also researched the design elements of each hotel segment when formulating the design for its OS �elite� series e-lock.  The new OS Electronic Lock has been developed using the �Chameleon Concept�.  It can adapt to blend with any environment whether it is new construction or retrofit.

�Industry designers and architects told us that the design and décor of guestrooms in the economy and midscale segments tends to be more traditional,� Metivier said. �Yet high-end, upscale hotels are drawn to more decorative designs, as are full-service hotels and resorts in the midscale segment. Upscale boutique properties; however, tend to incorporate more contemporary designs. Onity�s new OS �elite� series e-locks will accommodate these design preferences by segment.�

The new Onity OS �elite� series lock now offers hoteliers a wide range of handle designs to choose from through an exclusive agreement with the prestigious Italian design house, Valli & Valli.

�Onity�s next generation e-lock for the hospitality industry is aesthetically pleasing, intuitively functional and extremely secure,� Metivier said. �It offers minimal outside hardware, a choice of a horizontal or vertical reader with patented Grooves and Arrow design, a large choice of designer handles, upgradeable technology, multiple design options, and flexible configurations.�

For more information on the new OS �elite� series, visit the Onity Booth No. 3338 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, November 6-8, 2003.

About Onity

Onity (formerly TESA Entry Systems, Inc.), the leading global provider of electronic control solutions, offers innovative technological solutions and services for the Hospitality, Corporate, Education, Government and Marine markets. The company�s ever-expanding family of electronic solutions today includes electronic locks, related smartcard solutions, in-room safes, closed circuit television surveillance systems, and Senercomm® energy management solutions. Onity has R&D and manufacturing operations in Spain, Mexico and the U.S., as well as an extensive sales and service network that spans more than 115 countries around the globe. With innovative solutions specially designed to meet clients� changing needs, Onity continues to provide real progress � technological advancements in facility management and maintenance for unparalleled convenience and time and cost savings. For more information on Onity�s electronic hospitality solutions, please contact Pascal Metivier, VP of Global Sales and Marketing, at +1 770-582-8116, [email protected]. Web Site: www.Onity.biz.

About Bresslergroup

Bresslergroup was founded in 1970.  After 30 years, more than 60 awards, 70 patents and over 1500 projects, Bresslergroup�s researchers, strategists, designers and engineers continue to develop award-winning and marketable new product solutions for clients of every stripe.

�Turning on clients to the promises of progress, and unlocking the potential of partnering the very best minds and technologies.


 
Contact:
Onity World Headquarters: 
Toll-free line 1-800-424-1433; p
hone 1-770-447-4105; 
e-mail: [email protected]

Pascal Metivier
VP Global Sales & Marketing
  Tel: +1-770- 582-8116
[email protected]

Asia/Pacific Office
Phone ++61-293-160900
[email protected]

Europe/Middle East/Africa Office
Phone ++34-943-448300
[email protected]

Latin America Office
Phone ++55-113-0311909
[email protected]

North America Office
Phone: 1-770-935-4228
[email protected]

www.Onity.biz

Also See: Decatur Hotels LLC Jazzes Up Security, Energy Program, At Its New Orleans Hotels With One-Stop-Shop Solutions From Onity / June 2003
Onity Secures Position As Hospitality�s Largest Provider of Electronic Locks: 2.5 Million E-Locks Installed Worldwide / May 2003
Onity�s White Paper On �Back Mold and Moisture Control� In Big Demand, Now In Second Printing / May 2003
Onity Launches 'NO GUEST - NO COST' Electronic Locks Program / May 2003
Onity Secures Position As Hospitality�s Largest Provider of Electronic Locks: 2.5 Million E-Locks Installed Worldwide / May 2003
Hotels & Resorts Minimize Mold and Mildew Damage and Related Guest & Employee Health Liabilities Through Onity�s Energy Management Systems / April 2003
Loews Hotels Installs Onity�s SensorStat® DDC II Energy Management System at the Luxurious 790-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel / March 2003
$90 Million Hilton Sao Paulo Morumbi Reaps Rewards of Onity�s Senercomm Solutions / Feb 2003
Cunard Line�s $800 million Queen Mary 2 to Set Sail with Onity / January 2003
Accor Soars Higher by Selecting Onity as a Preferred Supplier of Guestroom Safes Worldwide / Dec 2002
Onity�s SensorStat® Energy Management Systems Save Larger Hotels Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Every Year / Oct 2002
New Brand Onity Promises Ultimate Unity of Service Integrity and Intelligent Facility Management / Oct 2002


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