Gym bunnies want mobile phone access

The Netherland’s Thorbecke College, located in Rotterdam, offers its sports qualification students convenient 24/7 gym facilities thanks to its partnership with the on-site gym Stoker Fitness and Paxton 10’s combined access control and video management system.

Stoker Fitness was established at the college 17 years ago. The owners, Willem-Jan Stoker and his brother, have had a passion for sport and fitness since a very young age. In 1971 their father, Jan-Willem Stoker, started one of the first fitness clubs in the Netherlands.

Today, besides the Thorbecke College campus gym, Stoker Fitness has other branches in Rotterdam city centre.

The gym industry is changing and, according to Willem-Jan, the current trend is for members to have flexibility and more time to exercise at their convenience. Gyms are now expected to be open 24/7. They need to have a security system that monitors and secures the facility and equipment without the gym’s employees being present.

Offering around the clock access to the gym requires an intelligent and easy to access security solution for the safety of the members, the expensive equipment, and the staff. To this end, specialist installer Ricor Security recommended Paxton 10.

Lorenzo van Emmerik, Video Systems Expert at Ricor Security, said, “With Paxton10, we were able to provide access control in combination with mobile access via the Paxton Key app.”

Before the Paxton10 installation, Stoker Fitness members could only use the facilities during regular opening hours, when the building’s supervisors were present. Willem-Jan pointed out, “To open up your business to members without staff being physically present requires to put safety measures in place.”

The primary requirement was to give members access via their smartphones. Willem-Jan explained, “With the help of Ricor Security, we have been looking for a solution that will allow members of Stoker Fitness to access the gym easily, without the need for our staff to be present.”

When Paxton10 launched in the Netherlands in July 2020, Ricor Security saw an opportunity to deliver the features and functionality for Stoker Fitness’ requirements.

Paxton10 provides next-generation access control and video management in a straightforward system, providing a platform that is easy to manage and user friendly, with no key fobs or traditional keys needed. Offering access via smart devices and the ability to monitor sites remotely, the combined system’s modern simple software was the ideal choice.

Using the Paxton Key app, available for iOS and Android, members of Stoker Fitness can open the controlled entrances to the gym with their smartphone or smartwatch. The smart credentials are created in seconds using the web-based Paxton10 software and remotely issued to a new user via an email sent directly from the system.

Additionally, the gym members arm and disarm the burglar alarm system upon entry and exit, ensuring the site is secured when empty but minimising any risk of false alarms when the gym is in use. This is achieved by using the Paxton10 Alarm Connector and the Trigger & Actions feature to automatically switch the alarm on or off when a user presents a valid smart credential.

Willem-Jan said: “The new Paxton10 system significantly improves the user experience. Our members now have more confidence to work out, as they have access to the facilities without supervision. It removes one of the barriers to exercise that some members experience, and provides a much calmer environment,” and concluded, “Monitoring the system remotely and being able to check-in and see that everything is going well gives me convenience and peace of mind.”