Stoker Fitness
Paxton10 Smart Credentials Provide Simple, 24 Hour Access to Student Gym
Thorbecke College in Rotterdam offers excellent facilities for students studying sports qualifications. Their on-site gym, Stoker Fitness was established at the college 17 years ago, following the opening of several other small gyms in the Rotterdam city center.
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 ever fitness clubs in the Netherlands. Willem-Jan said: “I was born and raised in the gym and have been working in the industry for 30 years now.”
Requirement
Prior to the Paxton10 installation, Stoker Fitness members could only use the facilities during regular opening hours, when the building’s supervisors were present. 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 own convenience. This means that gyms are now expected to be open 24/7, and they need to have a security system which monitors and secures the facility and equipment without the gym’s employees present.
To update their security system, Stoker Fitness contracted Ricor Security. The company stands for quality and excellent service, with a forward-thinking approach to technical development.
Supervising the gym outside of regular opening hours when there are no employees scheduled to work was the biggest challenge according to Willem-Jan. He explained: “In order to open up your business to members without being physically present requires safeguards in place.”
The primary requirement was to give members access via their smartphone. At the time, this solution was not available in the market, Willem-Jan said: “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.”
With Paxton10, we were able to provide simple access control in combination with mobile access via the Paxton Key app. It was simple and easy to achieve with this new system.
– Lorenzo van Emmerik, Video Systems Expert, Ricor Security
Solution
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 one simple system, providing a platform that is easy to manage and extremely 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.
Lorenzo van Emmerik, Video Systems Expert at Ricor Security, said: “With Paxton10, we were able to provide simple access control in combination with mobile access via the Paxton Key app. It was simple and easy to achieve with this new system.”
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.
Result
The main advantage of the new system is that members can now make use of 24-hour gym access, whilst maintaining the required level of security for the site. Regular opening hours are a thing of the past, and the gym operates with complete flexibility for its employees and members.
Stoker Fitness hope that this will minimise busy periods, allowing a constant flow of members throughout the day, as well as increase diversity in the sports offered at different times – as there is more flexibility for use of space. Willem-Jan said: “The new Paxton10 system significantly improves the user experience, our members now have more confidence to workout as they have access to the facilities when there is no supervision. This removes one of the barriers to exercise that some members experience, and provides a much calmer environment.”
Overall, the Stoker Fitness owners, employees and members have found the Paxton10 system easy to use and can be managed remotely so site managers no longer need to physically attend the site to create users or manage system updates.
Willem-Jan 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.”
Type of site
- Leisure: 24 hour gym
Location
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
Number of users/doors
- Approximately 150 users
- 2 doors
Solution required
- 24-hour secured access
- Protection of site and equipment
- Remote monitoring
Result
- Simple, user-friendly access control system
- Mobile smart credentials
- Remote system monitoring
Paxton products used
- Paxton10 Door Controller
- Paxton10 Server
- Paxton10 Keypad Reader
- Paxton10 Slimline Reader
- Paxton Key app (Bluetooth smart credentials)
- Paxton10 Alarm Connector
