UPDATE: UniKey has rebranded and created a new product line called Kwikset
Smartphones are changing our lives through the many apps that work with them. Now they’ve even changed door locks! There’s a new product called the UniKey that will allow you to unlock your door with your bluetooth-enabled smartphone. There’s no key to turn in a lock, and no numbers to punch in on a keypad. All you do is walk up to the door with your smartphone in your pocket or purse, touch the lock, and bingo! You can open your door. If you’re not in a specified range, the door won’t open — which enhances security and safety.
The UniKey (the residential model is called Kevo) is a mobile app that allows you to set up an eKey, so that a simple touch of the lock allows you to lock or unlock your door. You set it up once and you’re done — no need to re-enter pin numbers or passwords every time you’re trying to get in your house.
One great feature of the UniKey is that you can send e-keys to people through your smartphone and delete them at any time. If you have a friend who’s stopping by your house or apartment before you get there, you can send them an e-key so they’ll be able to get in. If you have a rental property at a resort, for example, you can send e-keys to your tenants and then delete them after the rental period is over. UniKey is ideal for the hospitality industry, where multiple keys can be issued and deleted instantly, and businesses will find that it can replace not only a physical key, but a keypad or badge reader also.
If you forget your phone, or its battery dies, the lock still functions normally with a standard metal key.
