Nuki announces smart door opener for apartment complexes

The Austrian manufacturer Nuki has announced the Nuki Opener, a device for opening the front door of an apartment building without using keys. The company will officially introduce the Opener at the IFA Innovations Media Briefing in Berlin on July 10-11.

Nuki has the Smart Lock in its range for normal homes, a smart door lock that is attached to the inside of the front door. The user can control the lock remotely or, if desired, fully automate it. This solution was not usable in apartment complexes with a central hall and a common front door. The manufacturer will launch the Nuki Opener later this summer especially for owners and residents of these homes.

The Nuki Opener connects directly to the apartment’s intercom system; an intervention for which, according to Nuki, no permission from the landlord is required. Authorized users can then open the entrance door to the complex by simply ringing the bell – a function called Ring to open – or by issuing the corresponding command via the smartphone app. In combination with a so-called Nuki Bridge, the door can then also be opened from another location, via the mobile network.

The Nuki Opener also has a ‘permanent mode’, which automatically opens the door within the pre-programmed times each time someone rings the bell. According to the manufacturer, this function is very suitable for offices, doctor’s offices and holiday apartments, but also for letting guests in at a party, when it can be difficult to hear the doorbell.

For the actual front door of the apartment, the user can combine the Nuki Opener with the Smart Lock, of which an improved version 2.0 was recently released. That device has a suggested retail price of 229 euros or 299 euros in a bundle with a Nuki Bridge. The Nuki Opener, which should appear later this summer, will cost 99 euros.