London, April 2025 – Powering digital access with energy-harvesting technology frees organizations from wiring and even batteries. However, to meet the challenges of the future, digital access needs more. It needs technologies and software platforms flexible enough to grow and adapt with the evolving needs of each organization, protecting their investment in digital access while delivering an ROI every day.

Using decades of expertise in designing and engineering key-based access cylinders and solutions, ASSA ABLOY developed PULSE, key-based digital access powered by innovative energy-harvesting technology and part of ASSA ABLOYs suite of digital access solutions.

With ABLOY PULSE, the kinetic energy generated by inserting the intelligent key is harvested to power the lock’s encrypted digital security. This energy source – keyholder input – is completely renewable and contributes to building sustainability goals.

Building users enjoy everyday convenience. They carry one PULSE key pre-programmed with all their access rights. It has an RFID tag inside and can also operate readers, whether on wireless locks or wall-mounted beside an electrified opening. Building users do not need to carry two credentials. To enhance site security and user privacy, PULSE credentials are powered by Seos^®, the latest generation of technology with the highest encryption and authentication standards.

ABLOY PULSE offers building managers reliable security they can trust. They can equip almost any opening with a device range which includes door cylinders, cam-locks, furniture locks and padlocks for indoor and outdoor use. There is no cabling, wiring or batteries required: PULSE locking cylinders and keys are self-powered by reliable energy-harvesting technology.

“ABLOY PULSE offers customers a flexible solution to digitalize their access management and make their access ready for what’s ahead. It has been developed to integrate easily with their building solutions,” says Jarno Onnela, PULSE Product Manager at ABLOY. “PULSE cylinders are fast and cost-efficient to install, because they require no major adjustments to a door. An installer simply swaps out an existing mechanical cylinder.”

ABLOY PULSE can be managed from cloud-based ASSA ABLOY Access^® software. This intuitive solution enables organizations to manage access from anywhere. Both keys and cylinders are reusable and reprogrammable: managing staff turnover becomes faster and simpler for facilities teams. Security staff can issue access and block lost keys from wherever they are.

The unique advantages of PULSE technology have already been recognized by awards juries in Europe, the Middle East and beyond. It was named Sustainability Champion Award winner at Intersec 2024, Dubai. In 2022, PULSE cylinders’ energy-harvesting performance earned the Construction Energy Award at the BYGGERI fair in Denmark.

“ABLOY PULSE already protects many different types of site, from commercial buildings and multi-residential housing, to education and healthcare premises,” adds Jarno. “New functionalities in ASSA ABLOY Access management software, such as support for reservation systems, continue to further expand use-cases. We have also extended the availability of this innovative solution to new markets including Scandinavia, France, the UK, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong and Benelux countries.”

Extend the range of locking solutions with ASSA ABLOY Access

ASSA ABLOY Access also integrates seamlessly with the ABLOY CUMULUS mobile and keyless access solution. Completely customizable, with intuitive APIs and SDKs for app development, CUMULUS becomes part of each customer’s individual workflows in a way specific to their own organization.

In addition, the revolutionary CUMULUS Controller adds mobile access capability to any electric or electronic lock – from any brand. ABLOY CUMULUS instantly makes digital access mobile ready. It can go wherever the customer needs.

To learn more about ABLOY PULSE, visit https://www.assaabloy.com/group/emeia/solutions/topics/access-control/abloy-pulse  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZqodehTPDE

London, April 2025 – Digitalizing access brings many benefits, but greater knowledge is needed when it comes to making the right long-term decision. As a global leader in access solutions, ASSA ABLOY and its over 60 thousand employees worldwide work every day towards a safer and more open world. In a new series of videos, experts in various specialisms within ASSA ABLOY share their expertise on digital access, including the complexities to overcome and the range of benefits for those who get digital access right.

 This new series of Expert Talks aims to better inform decision-makers – including security managers, directors, consultants and specifiers – about the key topics needed to consider when digitalizing access.

“The first talk in our series covers Security,” says Thomas Schulz, Director & Head of Marketing DAS at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA.

“Security may seem obvious, almost a ‘given’ these days. But digitalizing access upgrades security in many valuable ways, not all of them as obvious as you might imagine. Our Security talk also maps out some facts and topics that forward-thinking teams should be aware of.”

1. Mechanical and digital must work together for security

One message upon which all ASSA ABLOY’s security experts agree is the symbiotic relationship between mechanical and digital security. ASSA ABLOY’s decades of experience in mechanical locking situates it uniquely to ensure security applies consistently across mechanical and digital access.

Digital does not replace mechanical. Its additional layers of security and identity verification benefit the customer by helping to provide a concrete ROI from digitalization. Within the access device, mechanical and digital components must work together – the mechanical backbone is as important as the digital technology inside.

2. The growing importance of cyber-security for digital access

In a world of emerging and evolving security threats, building users need the reassurance of reliable access control to work productively. As security converges, moving beyond mechanical and cyber ‘siloes’, the right digital access solution enables building management teams to define exactly who goes where, and when, across all their sites in an easy and intuitive way.

“It’s not enough to have robust, reliable and secure access control devices if they don’t have the right cyber protection. Having a robust, reliable, and secure mechanical foundation for access control devices is not sufficient if they lack proper cyber protection,” explains Milivoj Simeonovski, Director & Head of Information and Cyber Security, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA.

For this reason, cyber-security compliance will soon be mandatory for any digital product sold within the EU market. Many ‘traditional’ security staff remain uncertain about its relevance. In research for one recent ASSA ABLOY market report^*, 55% of security professionals surveyed did not recognize four important regional laws and directives which are (or soon will be) critical to cyber- and mechanical security. “Staying ahead of these regulations and ensuring digital access adopters understand their importance was another key motivation for making this video – and for the series as a whole,” he adds.

This first in the series of ASSA ABLOY Expert Talks can help security and access management stakeholders face future challenges with greater confidence. Forthcoming Expert Talk videos will cover ASSA ABLOY’s four more key topics in digital access: sustainability, reliability, convenience and innovation.

To watch “Expert Talk: Security”, the first in ASSA ABLOY’s new series, visit https://www.assaabloy.com/group/emeia/stories/blogs/das-expert-talk-about-security