Chiswick Works is a collaborative community workspace based in Southwest London, UK. It is managed by X+Why, which offers flexible daily passes for collaborative workspaces and short or long-term memberships for dedicated offices. Chiswick Works is part of a larger group of similar flexible offices nationally.
This flexible office building is part of a larger network of similar office facilities across the country.
X+Why’s management team needed to upgrade the outdated and varied access control systems across their UK sites. They aimed to create a centralised system that could be remotely managed from anywhere in the country. As a result, their customers will have greater convenience and flexibility, while their site managers will have greater ease in granting access.
They currently have 50 doors at Chiswick Works, and 117 active members need varying levels of access, depending on their X+Why membership.
Trey Nelson-Campbell, Community Manager for X+Why, oversees the implementation of a Paxton10, a combined access control and video management system. It is being installed over time across all the company’s sites.
Trey explained: “The most important thing we wanted with the new system was for our clients to have the best possible service and experience whilst not feeling restricted. Many of them lose access cards regularly and get stuck outside the building or their office. We were looking at security systems that will help to eradicate this problem as it takes up so much time re-issuing access cards.”
The X+Why team also wanted their new solution to provide remote management technology so that all the sites they manage across the UK could be linked to a single system. As each site is upgraded, they require the ability to add them for simple multi-site administration. This also provides an additional benefit to the X+Why members, as they can be permitted access to any X+Why building without the need to obtain an access card or key fob for each site.
Trey continued: “Based on our requirements, Paxton10 just ticked every box for us.”
To achieve their objectives, X+Why contracted Ambush Security Systems to undertake the installation of Paxton10 across all sites, starting with Chiswick Works. Ambush Security Systems are a family-run business established in the late nineties, and they have been installing Paxton products ever since.
They installed Paxton10, which combines next-generation access control and video management on one user-friendly online interface. With feature-rich software, remote management capability, Multi-site functionality, and smart credentials that make smart devices access tokens, it is Paxton’s most powerful system yet.
Sam Rodway, Ambush’s Technical Sales Director explained: “I knew of Paxton10 and the system’s benefits from installations in other buildings. It is the perfect solution for X+Why with their long-term plans across multiple sites and the way their clients will be interacting with the access control system.
“For a collaborative workspace, it is just the ideal solution. It is the only system I know of that enables the use of a smartphone or smartwatch as access tokens that can be set up and emailed to the user quickly and easily. Paxton refers to these as smart credentials, free of charge with Paxton10.”
Ambush Security Systems installed a centralised Paxton10 Server, which will eventually control access across all the sites X+Why manage. This server can operate up to 1000 doors across 100 sites, making it a cost-effective and truly scalable use of hardware. Alongside the server, they installed Paxton10 Slimline Readers on all 50 internal doors and keypad readers on the main front entrance as well as a bike shed which connects to the main building, providing further flexibility with access via PIN/code.
Sam explained: “The installation went very well. Paxton10 is a modular system with a single-door controller configuration. I found it simple as it just connects via a web browser. Once it is online, the server is extremely easy to manage and configure.
“Paxton is known for their excellent customer support. One of their agents helped us with the software configuration. It now works perfectly and suits the specific needs of X+Why.”
“Paxton10 is so easy and straightforward to navigate; it just becomes second nature.”
The new system has been working well for X+Why at Chiswick Works. It has simplified access to the building for its clients, who are pleased with the upgrade. Additionally, those responsible for the building’s security have saved time administering tokens and granting access.
Trey further explains: “Paxton10 is so easy and straightforward to navigate, it just becomes second nature for those who manage the system. It is seamless and user-friendly, which makes my job ten times easier. There are now no access control dramas, and the Multi-site feature is so clever.
“People do not have time to read extensive manuals they just want it to work. This is the real benefit of the Paxton10 infrastructure. It is very straightforward and something I appreciate in my job. I cannot recommend Paxton10 enough!”
X+Why members love having the ability to access the building by using their smartphones., It provides ultimate convenience.
Work continues to add all of X+Why’s other UK sites to their new Paxton10 system.