August Home and Yale Locks are two companies that need no introduction, and if you live in the US, you probably already know that they go together like peanut butter and jelly. Now Europe can get a taste of that smart home perfection with Yale Access.
What we know in the US as the ‘Connected by August module’ is now available for new and exhausting Yale Smart Lock owners in the EMEA region under the name ‘Yale Access module’. Using a Yale Smart Lock with the with the all-new iOS and Android Yale Access app, the Yale Access module will allow Yale Smart Lock owners the ability to:
- Control and monitor their door from anywhere. They’ll be able to lock and unlock their door, control access and monitor who comes and goes, all from their phone, from anywhere in the world.
- Manage access for anyone. Grant access for a few weeks, a few hours, or a few minutes.
- Always know who is coming and going. Track activity at their doorstep with a 24/7 Activity Feed.
- Unlock when they arrive. Auto-Unlock detects their arrival and unlocks the door automatically.
- Lock automatically. Never worry if their door is locked again.
- Know they’re secure with DoorSense , a sensor that tells the Yale Access app if their door is securely closed or left ajar.
- Verbally lock the door through Alexa, Siri or the Google Assistant.
- Integrate with top hosting platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway to make guest check-in and check-out a breeze.
- Connect with leading home security systems like SimpliSafe and Alarm.com to ensure complete home security.
As if that wasn’t enough, Yale is also working with the major UK retailer Waitrose & Partners after a successful pilot program to give customers the ability to grant access to delivery drivers to their homes from their phones.
The service ‘’While You’re Away from Waitrose & Partners’’ is one that utilises Yale’s Smart Lock technology to allow customers to grant the delivery driver access to their home. A temporary access code for the door lock is sent by the customer via Waitrose & Partners’ While You’re Away app and then shared with the driver’s device just prior to the scheduled delivery time.
I have to admit that if I lived somewhere where I had to worry about porch pirates, I’d probably want to take advantage of this and other “take it directly into your house” delivery methods, especially if I knew that the whole process could be monitored in real-time through the app. In the US, similar in-home delivery programs have been done by Walmart and Amazon; if the idea of having a driver come into your house freaks you out a bit, remember that Yale Smart Locks and the Yale Access app can also connect to other Yale home security items such as indoor and outdoor cameras, so you’ll always know what’s going on if and when you grant someone access to your home for a delivery.
So welcome to the future, Europe! Best of all, the new Yale Access module will work with every Yale Smart Lock going back to the first ones released 6 years ago! Sweet!
The Yale Access module will come with the Yale Connect bridge, which links the lock to Wi-Fi and enables remote access from anywhere. The module will be available at Yalelock.com and retailers throughout the EMEA region. Compatible Yale locks are: Keyless, Conexis, Digital Monoblock, Doorman.