Wireless Locks, Unified Security: Aperio Integration with Alarm.com or Avigilon Access Control

ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio wireless locks are finally stepping into the spotlight  – especially now that they integrate cleanly with both Alarm.com Access Control and Avigilon Unity Access (formerly ACM). For businesses across Calgary and Western Canada, that means it’s getting much easier to bring real access control to doors that have historically been “too hard” or “too expensive” to wire.

This blog walks through what Aperio is, why it matters, and how High Def Technologies Inc. can design Aperio-powered solutions that plug into your existing Alarm.com or Avigilon ecosystem.

Aperio is ASSA ABLOY’s wireless lock platform designed to bring online access control to far more doors without pulling cable to every opening.

Instead of running wires to each door, Aperio uses:

• Battery-powered wireless locks (cylinders, escutcheons, card readers, cabinet locks, etc.)

• An Aperio hub that talks to those locks over secure 2.4 GHz wireless

• A standard access control panel (like Mercury-based controllers) that connects the hub back to your main access control system

Wire-free at the door – No need to open walls, run conduit, or install full readers and request-to-exit hardware at every opening.

AES-128 encrypted wireless communication between lock and hub for secure operation. (Alarm Controls)

Online and offline options – Locks can be managed in real-time or via periodic updates, depending on your security and budget needs.

Broad credential support – Works with major RFID formats (MIFARE, DESFire, Seos, LEGIC, etc.) and supports multi-factor and mobile credentials in modern deployments.

In simple terms: Aperio takes doors that would normally be stuck with mechanical keys and folds them into your electronic access control system – with audit trails, schedules, and instant revocation when someone leaves.

For a lot of Calgary- and Alberta-area facilities, wiring every single door has never been realistic:

• Heritage or architecturally sensitive buildings

• Glass, aluminum, or stone doorways

• Long runs to outbuildings, storage rooms, or remote offices

• Multi-tenant spaces where you can’t easily touch base-building infrastructure

  Aperio shines in exactly these scenarios:
  
  

• Lower install cost – No full cabling run per door = less labour, less disruption.

• More doors under control – Office interiors, server rooms, staff areas, lockers, and cabinets can finally be brought into the same access control platform as your main perimeter. (Avigilon)

• Faster deployment – Doors can be upgraded in phases instead of massive multi-week projects.

• Now layer that onto the platforms High Def Technologies Inc. already deploys: Alarm.com Access Control and Avigilon Unity Access – and things get really interesting.

Alarm.com has been steadily building out its commercial access portfolio, and recently announced support for ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio RS-485 integration. (Facebook)

What that means in practice:

• Tight integration with Aperio – Alarm.com can now communicate with Aperio RS-485 hubs, bringing those wireless locks into the same cloud-based interface used for intrusion, video, and automation. (Intelligent Openings)

• One platform, many doors – The same browser or mobile app you use to lock/unlock main entries can manage interior Aperio-equipped doors.

• Perfect for SMB + multi-site – Alberta businesses with multiple locations (offices, shops, restaurants, car dealerships, storage facilities) can centrally manage user rights – cards, fobs, mobile credentials – across all openings, not just a handful of wired doors.
  
  Typical design pattern we’d use at High Def Technologies Inc.:
  
  

• Alarm.com Access Control handles your main entries and any traditionally wired doors.

• Aperio wireless locks are added to interior or harder-to-wire openings (offices, storage, glass doors, etc.).

• An Aperio RS-485 hub ties into the Alarm.com-compatible controller.

• Everything shows up inside the same Alarm.com access control environment – schedules, users, and logs are managed centrally.
  
  Result: You get the simplicity and mobility of Alarm.com, plus the reach and flexibility of Aperio, without creating yet another standalone system to manage.

On the enterprise side, Aperio has had a long, mature integration with Avigilon’s access platform (Avigilon Unity Access, previously ACM).

Avigilon’s documentation and integration pages are very clear: Unity Access supports a wide range of ASSA ABLOY Aperio wireless locks through dedicated hubs and Mercury controllers. (Avigilon)

Here’s how that looks under the hood:

• Aperio lock ↔ Aperio hub – Local, encrypted wireless communication (802.15.4 at 2.4 GHz). (Avigilon)

• Aperio hub ↔ Mercury controller – RS-485 connection, appearing to the system as standard access control hardware. (Avigilon)

• Mercury controller ↔ Avigilon Unity Access server – IP-based comms back to your Unity Access application, often unified with Avigilon Control Center (ACC) for video. (ABC Security)
  
  From an operator’s perspective:
  
  

• Real-time door status – Locked/unlocked, door position, handle usage, and events from Aperio locks show up directly in Unity. (Avigilon)

• Unified video + access – You can tie Aperio door events to Avigilon cameras for visual verification (who badged, who tailgated, etc.). (ABC Security)

• Enterprise-friendly – Perfect for campuses, healthcare, industrial, and larger commercial sites where Avigilon is already the standard.
  
  For High Def Technologies Inc. projects, this lets us:
  
  

• Extend full enterprise-grade access control to interior doors without expanding cabling infrastructure.

• Maintain consistent credentialing (same cards/phones work across both wired and Aperio wireless doors).

• Optimize for phased rollouts – we can start with critical interior doors (IT rooms, HR, pharmacy cabinets, high-value storage) and expand as budget allows.

There’s a lot of flexibility in how Aperio integrates with Alarm.com and Avigilon, and a fair bit of nuance in doing it well. Here are some of the big decisions we walk through with clients:

1. Credential Strategy

• Decide between cards, fobs, mobile credentials, or a mix.

• Ensure compatibility between existing readers and new Aperio locks (MIFARE, DESFire, Seos, etc.).

• Plan for future expansion so you don’t lock yourself into a dead-end card technology.
  
  2. Which Doors Get Wireless vs Wired
  
  Use Aperio for:
  
  

• Interior office doors

• Staff-only areas

• Glass or specialty doors

• Remote rooms and cabinets

• Keep traditional wired doors where:

• You already have infrastructure

• High-security or life-safety requirements make full hardware more appropriate.
  
  3. Battery Life & Maintenance
  Aperio locks are battery-powered, which is fantastic for installation
  – but they do need a maintenance plan:
  
  

• Monitoring low-battery status through the access control platform

• Setting up preventative replacement schedules

• Training on simple field service tasks
  
  4. Network & Controller Design
  
  Behind the scenes, you still need solid infrastructure:

• Proper RS-485 wiring from Aperio hubs back to Mercury or compatible controllers

• Correct addressing and device limits per hub (e.g., how many locks per hub)

• Controller placement strategy so that future expansions are straightforward
  
  This is where High Def Technologies Inc. comes in – designing the topology, programming the controllers, and making sure everything plays nicely together.

Some real-world examples where we see Aperio making a huge impact in Western Canada:

• Multi-tenant office & coworking

• Wireless locks for private offices, shared boardrooms, and collaboration spaces.

• Alarm.com or Avigilon handles both common areas and individual tenant spaces.

• Automotive dealerships & showrooms

• Wireless locks on sales offices, key rooms, parts counters, and
  staff-only doors.

• Unified with cameras at the showroom and service drive.

• Schools & higher education

• Classroom doors, staff rooms, labs, and equipment closets brought into
  a central Avigilon or Alarm.com access system without extensive renos.

• Healthcare & clinics

• Medication rooms, records storage, staff areas, and back-of-house
  spaces secured with audit trails and mobile-friendly credentials.

• Industrial & logistics

• Wireless control on interior cages, IT racks, warehouse offices, and
  remote outbuildings.

ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio platform is no longer just an interesting wireless add-on – with native integrations into Alarm.com Access Control and Avigilon Unity Access, it’s now a practical, scalable way to:

• Shrink your reliance on mechanical keys

• Extend access control to more openings at a lower cost

• Keep everything unified in the platforms you already depend on
  
  If you’d like to explore Aperio with Alarm.com or Avigilon for your facility, High Def Technologies Inc. can:
  
  

• Audit your existing doors and access control

• Design a phased Aperio deployment

• Configure integrations, credentials, and user policies

• Provide ongoing monitoring and support