{{Short description|Manufacturer of hotel security systems}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = VingCard Elsafe | logo = VingcardElsafeLogo (no assa abloy version).jpg | logo_size = 150px | type = [[Public company|Publicly traded]] | foundation = 1979 as VingCard by Petter and Wilhelm Rosen'''Ving'''e, 1979 as Elsafe | defunct = Since 2 June 2015<!-- {{End date|2015|06|02}} --><ref name="Hospitality Net">{{Cite web |date=2 June 2015 |title=VingCard Elsafe Takes the Family Name to Become ASSA ABLOY Hospitality |url=http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4070457.html |access-date=7 December 2021 |publisher=hospitalitynet}}</ref> | location_city = [[Moss, Norway]] | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = [[Tor Sørnes]]<br>Bjørn Lyng | industry = Security / hotel electronic door locks, in-room safes and energy management systems | services = Security services | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | num_employees= | website= [http://www.vingcard.com Vingcard.com]. }}
'''VingCard Elsafe''', whose origin was in [[Moss, Norway]], is an international producer of hotel locking systems, electronic in-room safes and energy management systems. After inventing the first mechanical hole card operated lock in 1977, VingCard was acquired in 1994 by [[ASSA ABLOY]], and merged with the electronic safe producer Elsafe<ref name="uksutdents" /> to form VingCard Elsafe in 2006. Since 2015 VingCard Elsafe is not an operating company, but a product brand within ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions.<ref name="Hospitality Net" /> In 2024, Vingcard<ref name="hotelbusiness" /> is re-launched.
==History== ===Founding of VingCard=== {{See also|Keycard lock#Types}} The original VingCard lock was invented by [[Tor Sørnes]], a Norwegian author, politician, and engineer.<ref name="snltor" /> In 1950 Sørnes worked as a production planner at Christiania Staal & Jernvarefabrikk in [[Moss, Norway]], a factory which made [[Lock (security device)|locks]] and [[ice skate]]s under the brandname '''Ving'''. In 1955 he became the factory's machine constructor and when the factory in 1960—as one of the first in the country—established a department of research and development, he became its director.<ref name="rasmussornes" />
In the late 1960s and through the 1970s, there were efforts in the security industry to create a room access system that would improve the security by replacing older keys.<ref name="iehm" />
In 1977 Tor Sørnes invented the VingCard lock, the first known mechanical hole card operated lock.<ref name="snltor" /> Operated by a plastic key card with a pattern of holes, there were 32 possible hole locations, giving up to <math>2^{32} \approx 4.3 \times 10^9 </math> different keys.<ref name="uspatentfouronefournine">{{Cite web |date=17 April 1979 |title=US patent 4,149,394: Lock arrangement employing mechanically acting code card and key card |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4149394 |website=Google Patents |publisher=IFI CLAIMS Patent Services}}</ref> The 32 holes in the key gave 4.3 billion combinations, the same number as the population of the [[planet|earth]] at that time.<ref name="snltortwo" /> The key could easily be changed for each new guest by inserting a new key template in the lock that matched the new key.<ref name="uspatentfouronefournine" /><ref name="originalvingcard" />
In 1979 Sørnes was working for TrioVing as an engineer in the R&D Department when a sister company of TrioVing was established – VingCard.<ref name="snltortwo" /> This became the start of the company VingCard. Export of the original invention was initiated in 1978 when it was installed in the [[Peachtree Plaza Hotel]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia which was the world's tallest hotel at the time. The hotel had been troubled by burglaries and was eager to test the new security innovations.<ref name=vingcardhistoryone/><ref name="vingcardelsafehistory" /> This original system was patented in 29 countries,<ref name="snltortwo" /> and was a mechanical key card predecessor to the contemporary electronic room access card.<ref name="iehm" /> The invention is still in worldwide hotel security use under the brand VingCard.<ref name="snltortwo" /> In 2018, [[National Geographic]] listed the Vingcard Hotel Key Card [[innovation]] as one of seven innovations that changed [[travel]].<ref name="nageotravelinventions" />
===Founding of Elsafe=== 1979 was also the year that Elsafe (then a separate company) invented the world's first [[safe|electronic in-room safe]], introducing it to the hotel market. The new product was named Elsafe, and the company's first factory was placed in [[Mosvik Municipality]], Norway. In 1980, Elsafe installed its first safe installation at a property in the [[Canary Islands]], and it later began selling to hotels on all seven continents. [[Bjørn Lyng]], Elsafe's founder, wanted to create a security vault that opened and closed electronically, and new electronic safes soon led to an industry-wide shift, where safes requiring metal keys increasingly became obsolete.<ref name=vingcardhistoryone/>
===Dual acquisition by ASSA ABLOY=== {{Main|ASSA ABLOY}} In 1992–93 VingCard launched the electronic [[magnetic stripe]] card lock to a positive market reception. Tor Sørnes continued as a vice president and director of R&D at VingCard, retiring in 1992. Following the merger in November 1994 between VingCard's former owners, Abloy Security, and the Swedish [[Securitas AB]], VingCard became part of [[ASSA ABLOY]], a Swedish lock manufacturer.<ref name="assaabloy" />
Elsafe also became part of the ASSA ABLOY Group in 1994, currently the world's largest independent lock group company, which is composed of more than 100 subsidiary international companies.<ref name="vingcardelsafehistory" /> Aside from VingCard Elsafe, ASSA ABLOY also owns [[Yale lock]], [[Sargent (locks)|Sargent]] and the high-security lock firms of [[Medeco]] in the U.S., [[Mul-T-Lock]] in Israel, [[Fichet-Bauche]] in France. It is controlled by [[Gustaf Douglas]] through his company [[Investment AB Latour|Latour]]. It has distributors located in over 167 countries.
===Merger=== In 1997, VingCard and Elsafe joined marketing and sales forces and then finally merged to form VingCard Elsafe in 2006. As a single entity, the company counts more than 166 sales offices worldwide.<ref name="vingcardelsafehistory" /> Among its current product focuses are [[RFID]] technology<ref name="allureby" /> and energy management systems.<ref name="orion" />
In 2015 VingCard Elsafe was subsumed by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions.<ref name="Hospitality Net" />
==Executives== Tim Shea operated as the global president of VingCard Elsafe from 2004 and later ASSA ABLOY Hospitality until 2015.<ref name="reuterstimshea" /> Since 2016 the global president of Assa Abloy Hospitality is Christophe Sut, also Executive Vice President of [[Assa Abloy]]. In North America, VingCard Elsafe operated under Tim Shea as acting president from the departure of Bill Oliver in October 2014. As of March 2015 Lihong Wu took over responsibilities as president of Assa Abloy Hospitality North America.<ref name="reuterstimshea" />
Marc Tobias has been granted several patents regarding bypass tools and techniques for opening or protecting locks, including 5,355,701 VINGCARD.<ref name="uspatentfivethreefivefive">US patent 5,355,701</ref>
==Affiliations== VingCard Elsafe and its executives are part of the following professional and industry organizations: *AHLA *Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) *AAHOA – Founding Members *American Resort Development Association (ARDA) {{Portal|Companies}}
==References== {{reflist|30em| refs = <ref name="vingcardhistoryone">{{Cite web |title=A brief history |url=http://www.vingcardelsafe.com/en/vce/VingCardElsafe/About-Us/History/ |publisher=VingCard Elsafe}}</ref> <ref name="rasmussornes">[http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Rasmus_S%C3%B8rnes/utdypning ''Rasmus Sørnes'' (Store norske leksikon)]</ref> <ref name="snltortwo">[http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Tor_S%C3%B8rnes/utdypning ''Tor Sørnes''] ([[Fredrik Th. Bolin]]. Store norske leksikon)</ref> <ref name="iehm">{{Cite book |last=Clinton Ellis Jr. |first=Raymond |title=International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management 2nd Edition |date=25 June 2012 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781136439025}}</ref> <ref name="snltor">[http://www.snl.no/Tor_S%C3%B8rnes ''Tor Sørnes'' (Olav Skjeggedal. Store norske leksikon)]</ref> <ref name="uksutdents">{{Cite news |title=VingCard Elsafe locking systems keep UK students safe |url=http://www.assaabloy.com/en/com/References/Education-customers/VingCard-Elsafe-locking-systems-keep-UK-students-safe/ |access-date=22 January 2014 |publisher=ASSA ABLOY}}</ref> <ref name="originalvingcard">{{Cite news |title=Original by VingCard hotel lock – Stay Original |url=http://www.vingcardelsafe.com/en/vce/VingCardElsafe/Products/?productId=723779 |access-date=12 January 2012 |publisher=Vingcard Elsafe}}</ref> <ref name="vingcardelsafehistory">{{Cite news |title=About Us: History |url=http://www.vingcardelsafe.com/en/vce/VingCardElsafe/About-Us/History/ |access-date=12 January 2012 |publisher=VingCard Elsafe}}</ref> <ref name="orion">{{Cite news |title=Energy management solution Orion by VingCard reduces hotel's energy costs |url=http://www.assaabloy.com/en/com/References/Hotel--hospitality-references/Comfort-Suites-USA/ |access-date=22 January 2014 |publisher=Assa Abloy}}</ref> <ref name="reuterstimshea">{{Cite news |title=Tim Shea: Assa Abloy AB (ASSAb.ST) |url=https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyOfficers?symbol=ASSAb.ST |access-date=22 January 2014 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> <ref name="allureby">{{Cite news |date=6 November 2013 |title=Sell it to me: Allure by Vingcard Elsafe |url=http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/18580-sell-it-to-me-allure-by-vingcard-elsafe/#.UpoOieKMkoo |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111074853/http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/18580-sell-it-to-me-allure-by-vingcard-elsafe/ |archive-date=11 November 2013 |access-date=2014-01-22 |work=Hotelier Middle East}}</ref> <ref name="assaabloy">{{Cite web |title=Assa Abloy: Our Companies |url=http://www.assaabloy.com/en/com/About-ASSA-ABLOY/All-Companies/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110808211333/http://www.assaabloy.com/en/com/About-ASSA-ABLOY/All-Companies/ |archive-date=2011-08-08 |access-date=2014-01-23 |publisher=Assa Abloy}}</ref> <ref name="hotelbusiness">{{Cite news |date=2 April 2024 |title=Assa Abloy makes Vingcard its main brand for hospitality |url=https://hotelbusiness.com/assa-abloy-makes-vingcard-its-main-brand-for-hospitality/ |access-date=24 April 2024 |publisher=HotelBusiness.com}}</ref> <ref name="nageotravelinventions">{{Cite news |date=24 October 2018 |title=Discover 7 brilliant inventions that changed travel forever |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/7-brilliant-inventions-that-changed-travel/ |access-date=24 April 2024 |publisher=[[National Geographic]]}}</ref> }}
==External links== *[https://www.vingcard.com vingcard.com] *[https://www.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com assaabloyglobalsolutions.com]
;Further reading *{{Cite news |date=11 November 2013 |title=Marriott Brooklyn Fairfield Installs VingCard Elsafe RFID System As Contactless Locks Go Mainstream |url=http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4062891.html |publisher=HospitalityNet.org}} *{{Cite news |date=30 March 2012 |title=VingCard Elsafe's Orion Energy Management System Wins Prestigious Star Award From Top Hotel Magazine |url=http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_news/showNewsDetail.asp?docID=5473 |publisher=HospitalityUpgrade.com}}
[[Category:Manufacturing companies of Norway]] [[Category:Electronics companies established in 2006]] [[Category:Norwegian companies established in 2006]] [[Category:2015 disestablishments in Norway]] [[Category:Electronics companies disestablished in 2015]]