An audible alarm at an emergency exit is effective – but only where it can actually be heard. In larger buildings, across multiple locations, or at remote escape doors, additional digital alarm notifications can therefore be useful.
AlertLatch Cellular Door Guards can transmit alarm and status information via NB-IoT to the web-based easy-NB platform. This allows responsible personnel to view events regardless of their location and – depending on the activated connectivity package – additionally receive notifications via email or SMS.
Why transmit a door alarm digitally as well?
A conventional Door Guard triggers an alarm directly at the secured door. This is particularly important for alerting people on site when the door is being used.
For larger properties, however, an additional question arises: How does the responsible person become aware of an event if they are not in the immediate vicinity of the door?
Digital alarm notifications can bridge this information gap. Typical applications include:
- retail chains with multiple locations,
- logistics and industrial buildings,
- schools and municipal facilities,
- facility management,
- larger public buildings,
- remote or rarely monitored emergency exits.
How do alarm notifications via email or SMS work?
The Cellular Door Guard communicates with the easy-NB platform via NB-IoT. This means that no local Wi-Fi connection is required at the Door Guard for data transmission.
When a relevant event is detected, it can be transmitted to the platform and documented there. Depending on the selected connectivity package, designated contacts can additionally be notified via email or SMS.
The Door Guard's local alarm function operates independently of this: the audible alarm is triggered directly at the door.
Alarm notifications via email: ideal for centralized monitoring
Email notifications are particularly suitable for organizations where responsible personnel regularly monitor digital inboxes or manage multiple devices centrally.
This allows facility managers or security personnel, for example, to identify that an event has occurred at a specific Door Guard without having to be physically present at the device.
Alarm notifications via SMS: useful for time-sensitive alerts
SMS notifications can also be useful when an alert needs to be received directly on a mobile phone without relying on someone checking an email inbox.
The AlertLatch connectivity package with SMS supplements the NB-IoT and email functions with SMS notifications. The current package includes an allowance of 20 SMS messages per month.
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Email or SMS – which is better?
| Requirement | SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Centralized documentation and further processing | Very suitable | Suitable as an additional channel |
| Notification on a smartphone | Yes | Yes |
| Regularly monitored inbox required | Yes | No |
| Suitable for on-call or standby services | Depending on the organization | Particularly useful |
In many cases, the key question is not whether to choose email or SMS, but which notification channel best fits the organization's existing processes.
What else does the easy-NB platform offer?
Digital connectivity is not limited to individual alarm notifications.
The easy-NB platform enables Cellular Door Guards to be managed centrally. This makes it possible, for example, to bring together multiple devices or locations within a single web-based interface.
Depending on the device and activated functionality, the following information and features are available:
- alarm and event notifications,
- status information,
- battery status,
- event history,
- management of multiple devices and locations.
No additional app is required to use the web-based platform.
Why NB-IoT instead of Wi-Fi?
NB-IoT is a cellular technology designed for devices with comparatively low data requirements. For a Door Guard, this means in particular that no connection to the building's local Wi-Fi network needs to be configured.
This can simplify retrofitting because, for example, no Wi-Fi credentials need to be stored on the Door Guard and no additional local gateway is required for data transmission.
Find out more about the available features on our easy-NB and NB-IoT in detail page.
Does the Cellular Door Guard also work without a connectivity package?
Yes. Without an active connectivity package, the Cellular Door Guard can still be used as a local Door Guard.
However, digital additional features such as remote monitoring, platform access, and email or SMS notifications are only activated with a suitable connectivity package.
Which connectivity packages are available?
There are currently two basic options available:
| Feature | NB-IoT | NB-IoT + SMS |
|---|---|---|
| NB-IoT data connection | Yes | Yes |
| easy-NB platform | Yes | Yes |
| Email notifications | Yes | Yes |
| SMS notifications | No | Yes |
| Term | 7 years | 7 years |
The connectivity packages are offered as prepaid solutions for the respective term and do not renew automatically.
Who benefits from digital alarm notifications?
Digital alarm notifications are particularly useful in situations where local deterrence alone is not sufficient and responsible personnel also need to be able to identify remotely that an event has occurred.
The more doors, buildings, or locations that need to be managed, the greater the organizational benefits of a centralized overview can become.
Conclusion: Combine local alarms with digital notifications
The conventional door alarm draws attention directly at the emergency exit. Digital alarm notifications add a second layer: responsible personnel can view events regardless of their location and, depending on the connectivity package, receive notifications via email or SMS.
For operators of multiple buildings or emergency exits that are difficult to monitor, this allows local escape route security to be extended with centralized digital monitoring.
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