Technological advancements and the emergence of new working models are promoting hybrid workplaces and flexible services. The coworking sector continues to grow, meeting the increasing demand for flexibility, cost control, and employee well-being. In this context, security and effective access management have become top priorities for coworking operators. Connected locks integrated with access management systems play a crucial role in addressing these needs while offering numerous advantages to coworking space managers and users alike.
Choose & Work and Sofia part of ISEO: a strategic partnership to optimize coworking space management
Founded in 2016, Choose & Work is a market-leading workspace booking platform. It enables you to book offices, coworking spaces, meeting rooms and event venues for durations ranging from a few hours to several days. Its search engine is designed to refine results, making it easy to find spaces tailored to specific needs. Choose & Work references over 3,500 workspaces from 2,500 suppliers, mainly in France, Belgium and Spain, and continues to evolve to offer an optimal user experience.
Sofia part of ISEO is a PropTech company that provides cloud native access control solutions for the real estate market that enable new business models and new ways of collaboration between people. Since 2020, it is part of the multinational ISEO Ultimate Access Technologies, which has been an expert in locking systems and access control for over 50 years, together they are leading to a new chapter in access control innovation through cloud technologies. Sofia provides dynamic access management solutions for flexible spaces. Thanks to plug-and-play solutions, spaces become operational quickly, while controlling installation costs. Moreover, Sofia also offers API integration, facilitating connections with existing software.
The strategic partnership between Choose & Work and Sofia, initiated in 2024, brings a new dimension to the management of coworking spaces by offering a simplified and seamless experience for users and managers. Through this collaboration, users can not only book the workspace that meets their specific needs, whether it’s a private office, a shared space or a meeting room, but also receive a secure code by e-mail directly on their smartphone to enter the coworking space and access the reserved room. Resident tenants, in turn, can use the mobile app on their smartphone to open their office via Bluetooth
With this integrated solution, complex registration procedures become obsolete, and physical key management disappears, thereby improving the operational efficiency of space managers. The automation and digitization of access allow for better resource utilization, reduces the risk of human error, and provides a smoother and more pleasant user experience. By enhancing security and ensuring access is granted only to authorized users, this partnership not only meets the current needs of users and managers but also lays the groundwork for more sustainable, secure, and efficient workspace management in line with modern requirements.
Flexibility and space management
Flexibility is one of the pillars of coworking spaces, and ISEO’s electronic locks strengthen this flexibility. Thanks to this partnership, members can book meeting rooms, private offices, or shared workspaces online via the Choose & Work platform. Once the booking is made, they receive a PIN code to directly access the reserved spaces.
This real-time access management system, unique to Sofia, enhances the user experience while optimizing the use of spaces, allowing for increased responsiveness and customization.
Enhanced user experience
The integration of ISEO Ultimate Access Technologies connected locks with the Choose & Work platform has revolutionized the user experience. Users benefit from autonomous management of their bookings, payments, invoicing, and access thanks to ISEO’s technology, improving their satisfaction and comfort by centralizing all these services on a single platform.
Optimized space utilization and INCREASED operational efficiency
The Choose & Work platform simplifies the daily management for coworking space managers: it allows available spaces to be highlighted, reservations to be made, payments to be processed online, and access to be granted automatically.
By automating the opening of ISEO Ultimate Technologies’ electronic locks through the Choose & Work platform, managers can reduce administrative tasks and focus on more strategic aspects of their business. Additionally, data collected by Sofia’s solution allows for an in-depth analysis of space usage, enabling optimized planning and management.
Increased security for coworking spaces
ISEO Ultimate Technologies’ connected locks offer a higher level of security compared to traditional systems. Sofia’s solution allows for real-time control and monitoring of access. Administrators can easily grant or revoke permissions remotely, ensuring that only authorized users access the spaces. Digital access management significantly reduces the risk of intrusion and key loss, while providing precise tracking of entries and exits.
Electronic locks: towards greater durability for coworking spaces
ISEO Ultimate Technologies’ electronic locks perfectly align with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives while ensuring that coworking spaces comply with current security and sustainability standards. By reducing the use of physical resources like keys and optimizing access to spaces through innovative technologies, they help lower the carbon footprint of facilities.
On average, connected locks reduce the materials needed for installation by 75% thanks to digital assistance and credential virtualization, while offering more economical and efficient management.