What is an API and what’s in it for me?
API stands for Application Programming Interface. Basically, it is software that allows two or more cloud-based applications to connect with each other and communicate through simple commands.
API integrations are currently on the increase because they allow companies to streamline business operations (by eliminating bottlenecks) and provide better customer experiences while, at the same time, reducing costs.
iLOQ has developed an open REST API. REST, also known as RESTful, stands for representational state transfer. This fast and more lightweight API has increased scalability making it perfect for Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile app development. For iLOQ, it allows a high level of automation and the possibility for integration with state-of-the-art data-sharing and reservation systems as well as customers’ personal databases.
If you live in a multi-family residential property where iLOQ HOME is in use, you will already have experienced the benefits of APIs as you need only one app to reserve and manage bookings, for example, for laundry rooms, gyms or saunas.
In large properties where there are many rental apartments, the process of issuing keys and getting them back at the end of the rental period can be a time- and resource-consuming activity. In cooperation with iLOQ, Finnish company, Livion, has developed a solution to relieve this burden on locking system administrators by enabling better automation of key management. iLOQ keys and an Online reader are mounted inside the LivionKey30 key box. Residents use a PIN code to access the box to pick up their key which has been programmed with all their access rights. They also use the box to simply return their key at the end of the rental period. In a recent development, the key box can now also communicate with iLOQ 5 Series digital and mobile solutions to make the solution even simpler and more accessible.
Together with iLOQ’s open REST API, Livion’s key box has removed the final barrier in a fully automated key handover process.
