SAFLOK™ and INNCOM Introduce New RF Interface

MADISON HEIGHTS, MI | Two long-time hospitality industry giants—SAFLOK™ and INNCOM International Inc.—announce a strategic alliance today. The collaboration has yielded a new radio-frequency (RF) interface for energy management.

Hyatt Regency Chicago, a four-diamond, 2,019-room hotel in the heart of the downtown, just off the Magnificent Mile, is the first property to adopt this new interface. An existing SAFLOK customer, Hyatt Regency Chicago is updating from the SAFLOK MT™ (multi-technology) locks to SAFLOK's Quantum™ ädesē™ locks and installing energy management thermostats with an RF interface.

The new RF interface provides a cost-effective energy-management solution by allowing the lock and thermostat to communicate without the need for an infrared (IR) backbone. This integration allows the hotel to use the door lock to communicate via RF to the thermostat every time the door is opened, resulting in improved energy management and a reduction in operating expenses for the property. With the new SAFLOK and INNCOM collaboration, the RF interface provides a very cost-effective retrofit application.

"We decided to upgrade to RF technology at this hotel for installation flexibility," said Kerry Hirschy, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Kaba Lodging Systems. "We have a lot of experience with the IR interface, and now we are moving to RF to build on what we know and enhance our product offerings to the market."

According to INNCOM VP of Sales and Marketing John Tavares, INNCOM now offers an RF based platform for temperature and lighting control, energy management, and other applications in addition to its other wireless and wireless application solutions in order to provide hotels with even better room automation and property-wide communications and in-room controls.

"RF technology provides hotels such as Hyatt Regency Chicago with the ability to operate in a wireless environment, and that is so critical today for improving on energy costs and improving enterprise communications," Tavares said. "Without having to compromise on room design or incur the expense of installing cables, Hyatt Regency Chicago was able to upgrade its guestrooms so that its new locks can talk to INNCOM's new in-room RF network. This new wireless infrastructure will keep guests comfortable and keep the hotel operating more energy efficiently and secure."

"We're happy to work with a forward-thinking company like SAFLOK, who shares our common goal of pushing the envelope in terms of technology offerings," said Tom Feilen, Hyatt Regency Chicago's Director of Engineering. "With this technological enhancement, we expect to see reduced energy costs that will result in an improved bottom line."

"SAFLOK and INNCOM are two technology innovators -- constantly seeking to improve upon our product offerings," Hirschy said. "We were happy to partner with such a dynamic provider to offer the ideal energy management solution to our customer."

INNCOM's Tavares concurred, saying: "We are pleased to continue our ongoing relationship with SAFLOK. Together we are helping hotels to be their very best in providing the exceptional service to their guests."