Edited from the video captions for clarity while preserving the customer’s meaning.
My name is Doug Summers, and I’m president of Cotton Ridge Strata, a 54-unit apartment building in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The building is about 20 years old, and our previous intercom and access system had been there for many years.
The old intercom dialled one number, whether it was a landline or cellphone. A resident could answer the call and let the visitor inside, but the system was audio only and had limited functionality. Residents used fobs for the building doors and a clicker remote for the garage gate.
We wanted to bring the building into the 21st century with something more modern. The biggest difference is the range of features. When somebody arrives, residents can see a live picture on the screen, speak with the visitor, confirm who it is and decide whether to grant access.
The system is adaptable for each unit. I like using facial recognition to enter the building, but residents who do not want that feature do not have to use it. They can choose other methods, including fobs and remotes.
Another valuable feature is the ability to give a delivery person one-time access or scheduled access. We have many elderly residents whose care aides visit regularly. A resident can provide a care aide with a QR code and configure it to work once a day, once a week or on another schedule. The activity is logged so the building can review who is coming and going.
Residents now have much more flexibility to choose the features they want to use. From a council-management standpoint, we receive very few complaints. Most questions come from someone forgetting how to use a feature, but the system’s overall functionality has been a major benefit.
Gate access has also been wonderful. A sticker credential can be placed in the vehicle, so the driver approaches the garage and the gate opens automatically. People using the man door beside the vehicle gate, including residents taking their dogs for a walk, can still use a clicker. I even keep an extra sticker inside my phone case; I open the case near the reader and the gate opens.
Different access options are important in a strata because residents have different preferences and different views about building security. Some choose facial recognition, while others prefer fobs or remotes. The system gives residents several ways to enter and leave the building.
Managing the property through the new portal is ‘night and day’ compared with the old system. Previously, someone had to come to the building, open the equipment box and perform the programming onsite. Now an authorized administrator can log into the online system from anywhere and make the necessary changes. If somebody moves out without returning a fob, it can be deactivated and a different fob can be provided to the new owner.
I would definitely recommend this type of upgrade to another strata still using an older intercom and physical keys. It can save time and money in the long run. Our experience with WeTech Security Solutions has been very good. The team responded quickly, listened to what we needed, proposed the system and has continued to provide strong support. We do not have many problems, but when a question comes up, they are there to answer it.
