Jasmine at the Hammocks is a private gated community of 215 luxury homes that boasts many amenities, including a community pool, gym, clubhouse and private lake for residents.

According to Jasmine HOA President Albert Figueroa, “The challenges we had before with the traditional voice-only telephone entry system were substantial. The system was difficult to use and update with only a single line of LCD screen. There were communication errors and it provided no entry logs. A significant problem was the inability of the resident to visually verify the visitor, thus improperly letting in strangers. Sometimes, residents were unable to open the gate for the visitor due to system problems. Also the resident was only able to enter the community using a card that they sometimes gave to their friends, and got lost easily.”

The community also utilized a security guard service during certain hours, relying on the security guard to call the residents and let the visitors in. When the security guard was unavailable, visitors either had to wait for the guard to return or use the telephone entry system. The guard would handwrite visitor records, which were not easily available for review, and there was no access log if the visitor came in using the telephone entry system.

“We really had no idea who is in the community,” Figueroa said. “Our decision to install the Smart Entry System was to enhance the service, provide more security and control for our residents and allow the security guard to focus on monitoring the cameras throughout the community.”

Smart Camera Team (SCT) installed the Smart Entry System in January 2020. They added a custom graphics cover showing the community name and logo, providing additional branding for the property.

“They had an old, inadequate product in place with a keypad, and residents just had to rely on the voice at the other end when deciding whether to allow access,” said Imon Karim, owner and CEO of Smart Camera Team. “The Smart Entry System has its own app, so when a visitor calls, you can actually see who’s there and talk to them, and make sure it’s somebody you know.”

The new solution facilitated greater efficiency, security and accountability. The newly mounted long range RFID reader automatically opens the gate for the residents while their car pulls into the community driveway by a sticker affixed to their vehicles. Security guards focus on monitoring the cameras and have access to the entry log with a picture of the visitor in the cloud. The property management office is able to research the entry logs to reveal abnormal access patterns and investigate unauthorized tenants. Overall, the many features provided by the Smart Entry System allow the residents of the community to feel more secure.

“The Smart Entry Systems solution transformed our community by giving the residents control of who enters their community with live video of the visitor on their mobile phone, even when they are away from home,” Figueroa said.

Since its implementation, the community residents and management team have enjoyed many advantages of the Smart Entry System.

“The all-in-one cloud-based management portal manages both the video intercom for visitors and the access control of the residents to the community pool, gym, clubhouse and the lake area,” said Smart Entry Systems Sales Manager Wanchai Siriwalothakul. “This system also provides many additional optional services, such as keeping the visitors’ pictures in the access logs, creating digital advertising revenue for the community and providing cashless vending to communal laundry systems, electric car charging ports and the reservation of meeting rooms or equipment.” — By SDM Managing Editor Courtney Wolfe //