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Yale and August partner on new smart locks for the new year

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Locks from Yale, a major traditional lock vendor, and smart lock pioneer August made their debut Wednesday at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. These new products range from single-hole keyed models with keypads to web-connected deadbolts, and further expand the portfolio of Assa Abloy, a large conglomerate that owns Yale, August, and several other door lock companies.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Assa Abloy’s branding can get a little unwieldy since the company’s marketers have to juggle so many of its acquisitions. Under the Yale banner, the company introduced several new Assure Lever Locks, adding to a line launched last year. The first Yale Assure locks added August technology to Yale hardware, but these new models are only optionally compatible with August’s smart lock technology. Assa Abloy’s major smart lock introductions this time are branded as Emtek EMPowered Smart Locks — Connected by August (Emtek is a door hardware company that Assa Abloy also owns). Rolls right off the tongue.

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The Yale Assure Lever Locks introduced today are keypad locks designed for single-hole doors in locations that don’t require the added security of a deadbolt, such as side entries, garages, basements, and interior rooms. These are the first Assure locks without a deadbolt, and Yale will offer versions with or without hardware keys, and with either a hardware or capacitive touchscreen keypad.

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You can unlock them with a four- to eight-digit code, or use a physical key on keyed models. You can also integrate them into a smart home/smart lock system based on either a Connected by August, Z-Wave Plus or Zigbee Yale smart module.

Prices will range from  $149 to $299, depending on the hardware and connectivity. Yale plans to ship the Assure Lever Locks by spring.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Emtek EMPowered Smart Lock — Connected by August is a deadlock based on August’s cloud technology, which lets you lock and unlock doors with smartphones, remotely control locks, and share virtual keys with visitors via smartphone apps. Assa Abloy is selling two versions, one with a hardware keypad and one with a traditional key.

The EMPowered Smart Lock Keypad Deadbolt — Connected by August (the one with a keypad) will cost $440 and is slated to ship in February, while the EMPowered Smart Lock for Deadbolt/Entryset — Connected by August (the one with a physical key) will run $370 and is due in April.

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Denny Arar
Denny Arar
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A longtime PC World/TechHive editor and contributor, Denny Arar (a.k.a. Yardena Arar) has also written for The New York…
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