The Netherlands-based smart technology company DEN Smart Home showcased its SmartStrike door lock at CES 2021, taking home the title of Innovation Awards Honoree in the process.
DEN says it has made the first-ever wireless, smart door strike. SmartStrike allows homeowners to unlock their doors through their cell phones remotely, and the company says its integrated strike can be installed into every door frame out there.
When installed, the door strike is hidden away into the frame of a door, making it practically invisible. After the mount plate goes into the door frame, it can be connected to the DEN app on a homeowner’s phone.
The app does not control the actual deadbolt lock, it just opens the strike. This means that once the door is closed after it has remotely been opened, it will automatically lock again, leaving no room for safety mishaps.
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Along with the basic positives of enhanced security and easy access, the SmartStrike can come in handy with deliveries, house cleaners, and caregivers, says DEN.
SmartStrike works with Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth LE, or Z-Wave to an iPhone or Android phone. DEN says the SmartStrike will eventually be integrated into the popular smart home platforms on the market today, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Nest.
When it comes to safety, DEN says the invisibility of the strike makes it more secure, but due to it being fixed into the door frame, it is “exponentially more difficult” to bypass. On top of that, the strike and the system’s server communication are asymmetrically encrypted.
In the case of a power outage, homeowners will still be able to unlock and lock their doors. Each SmartStrike comes equipped with battery packs that serve as emergency generators, says DEN. The strike will still be able to open with a normal key, too.
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With all that said, there is an American brand who claims to have the world’s first smart door strike, Nexkey. There are some key differences, though.
Nexkey offers more advanced options, such as the ability to set certain times throughout the day where users can remotely unlock a door, but is marketed more toward businesses. The app can also recognize which door the user is closest too, and pulls up the correct key for that door. For cleaning crews or service technicians, a one-time temporary code can be sent to their smartphone for easy access.
Nexkey also offers Portal, an expanded view of the app that also provides insights into who, how, and when users are entering doors. When onboarding new employees, instead of handing out keys or passes to access buildings, they can retrieve it right on their phones.
But the biggest difference comes down to remotely unlocking and accessing the actual function of the smart strike. DEN’s product does not require a hub to connect any devices, just the strike and a phone. Nexkey requires a controller to access smart capabilities.
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