Germany-based Aug Winkhaus, a specialist in access control systems manufacturing both electronic and mechanical locking systems, is introducing the latest version of its BlueChip electronic locking system in the Middle East.

“The BlueChip locking system represents the best in such technology and this brand is being used in Europe since 2001,” says Michael Enning, Winkhaus regional company representative for the Middle East.
The product has recently been installed in the UAE at SAE Dubai, which represents the largest network of media education institutes worldwide offering quality education for careers in the media production industry.
“SAE chose Winkhaus’ BlueChip electronic locking system, facing problems with regard to controlling access to their classrooms and studios, where costly equipment is being operated by many different people,” he says. “Winkhaus offers a solution to such problems through the BlueChip system, which provides flexible access control with almost zero installation effort for the existing premises. SAE simply had to replace the existing mechanical locking cylinders with BlueChip digital cylinders, which operate standalone without any wiring or external power supply.”
Alexander Gehrig, associate regional director, SAE Asia and Middle East, says SAE chose to install a BlueChip electronic locking system because of its high staff turnover, many part-time employees, a lack of control over access to rooms with valuable items and a steadily increasing number of students.
“SAE was looking for a flexible and comfortable system to be implemented without a lot of installation effort because classes could not be suspended. BlueChip’s advantages lie in its flexible authorisations (in case of changing employees or key-loss), audit trail (enabling to track locking operations), one key per person, time restrictions (no access during weekends for employees), total control with SAE, and the possibility of growing the system with future expansions of SAE,” he adds.
Gehrig says SAE’s future applications for the BlueChip system might include the issuing of keys with an expiry date for temporary staff members.
Winkhaus, which manufactures access control systems, is a family-owned company with over 150 years of experience and around 2,200 employees worldwide.
The BlueChip installation at SAE has been implemented by the Abu Dhabi-based distributor Metallic Equipment Technologies (Metech).
“We have chosen Metallic Equipment Technologies as our strategic partner for BlueChip in the UAE due to their experience and reliability, besides the fact that they can combine our systems with other security systems such as CCTV,” says Enning.
Metallic Equipment Technologies is well known in the market as a provider for electronic security systems, surveillance systems and software machinery interfacing. It aims at providing its clients with the most innovative, reliable and latest technologies in the security business, and is dedicated to building relationships with its clients by understanding their needs and providing them with the most professional and highest level of related quality services, he adds.