Last updated April 12, 2019
Used cell phones are well on their way to replace cash and credit cards by way of the new technology to allow people to pay their bills with the devices, but now another innovation could be set to see the ubiquitous cell phone replace yet another mainstay – the humble key.
Everything from car to garage to home and office and hotel doors could be soon be able to opened via the SmartPhone, which sends a signal via the internet and a converter box to the door. Due to the pervasive nature of the cell phone in the 21st century, industry insiders are betting that the new technology will soon have widespread acceptance.
Lock making company Schlage already has a system available that enables cell phone users to open their doors from miles away, and even control their household functions such as air conditioning, heating, security cameras and lights. The vice president of connected home solutions for Ingersoll Rand, Dwight Gibson, recently used the system to allow a friend access to his home even though he was at work. “She thought it was magic,” he notes.
General Motors also has an application that lets those who own GM models from this year do likewise, but for the car. “In the winter, when my wife and I went to dinner and the check came, I pulled out my phone and started the car,” says GM’s Timothy Nixon. “By the time we got to it, it was toasty and warm.”