Padlocks have evolved to be more secure with traditional keyless and integrated access control. Bluetooth technology has reached traditional padlocks. Bluetooth padlock locks offer keyless security, usually controlled by your smartphone.
The mechanical part of any padlock is what provides physical security. This includes the body of the padlock and the shackle. These parts and the material they are made of is what gives any padlock physical security. Bluetooth technology alone does not make a lock secure.
Features of Bluetooth locks:
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Unlock with your smartphone
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Give others temporary access to your lock
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Monitor access and retain history
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Never worry about a lost combination or key
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Low battery indication on lock and smartphone app
These are some of the standard features. The manufacturer will provide an application that will control access to your lock. These apps will provide additional features and security depending on the app. Like any app we all use, Bluetooth apps can be updated and updated with new features. The manufacturer will generally provide these applications free of charge; however, some will have additional features like unlimited online history storage for an additional annual fee.
You will find two levels of Bluetooth padlocks, standard users and business or commercial user. A business or commercial Bluetooth padlock is generally constructed of higher quality materials, such as a hardened body with hardened steel or boron alloy shackles. The manufacturer will normally host the history and access control online through their app. This will allow an administrator to control access to a lock instantly. Typically, there will be a recurring annual fee for the service.
This technology has been used in door locks for the past few years. Before it could get to padlocks, the electronics in the lock had to be made much smaller and then fitted to the padlock without interfering with the mechanical parts of the lock. Now that this problem has been fixed, you should start to see many manufacturers jumping on the Bluetooth lock bandwagon. For years to come, electronic locks will take over the work of mechanical locks by offering superior access control.
You will soon see that Siri, Alexa, and Google incorporate commands that will greatly improve the control of Bluetooth locks. I think that before this happens they need to prefect the voice recognition, so that the owner of the lock is effectively the voice that Siri, Alexa and Google understand and no other voice.