When acquiring an electronic key tracking solution, “key storage density” is frequently overlooked. By “key storage density”, we mean the total number of keys that can be stored per cubic inch of space.

The overall key tracking system — the container for the keys and their fobs and any peripheral equipment, such as a dedicated PC — should be small enough to be located at the Front Desk. Otherwise, anytime a key is issued or returned, the Front Desk staff has to leave their post to go to the location of the key system. During that trip, they are no longer able to monitor traffic in and out of the building or to greet and interact with people who may need to speak with them. That creates security and service issues.

Although in small buildings, the required size of current key tracking systems may be small enough that the systems can be located near the Front Desk, aesthetics and safety are still an issue. Is the system visible, does it dominate the desk, does it take up important desktop or counter space, and is it located at a convenient working height?

The Keybox by Melinx has been designed with these considerations in mind. A primary design element is our “Magic Bar” fob. This fob is about the size of a disposable pen’s cap and enables each pair of keys and a fob to be stored in a space that is less than 0.8 cubic inches.

A small fob means a small “pocket” for each pair of keys, which means a smaller “footprint” for the Keybox. In fact, our latest version packs about 140 pairs (280 total) of keys, their fobs, and all of the required electronics into an area smaller than 1.5 reams of paper. That’s less than 1/10th the space required by our competition.

Having this extremely high key storage density means that the Keybox by Melinx can easily be located at the Front Desk — even in very large buildings. In fact, in buildings with under 140 units, the entire system will fit inside a desk drawer (with room to spare), where it is secure, convenient to access, and kept out of sight — leaving the desktop and counter unencumbered. Where the number of units is more than 140, multiple systems can be linked together to control access to over 1000 pairs of keys.

We are preparing the release of the patent-pending Keybox by Melinx this fall. In the meantime, keep watching this blog for updates.