SimonsVoss recently earned the worldwide renowned German Design Award for two of its innovative digital products: the SmartIntego - SmartHandle and the SmartIntego - Locking Cylinder. Both won “gold” in the building and elements design category.

The award ceremony took place in Frankfurt on Feb. 12, 2016. The German Design Council has presented the German Design Award on a yearly basis since 2012. It honours products and design services that clearly stand out from the competition due to their design quality. The international jury consists of design experts from academia, the business world and the design industry.

“Receiving the German Design Award is a great accomplishment, and we are both humbled and honoured to be among those who have earned it,” said Nicole Huffer, head of marketing and communications at SimonsVoss. “Our brand has always believed in creating sophisticated product designs in contemporary and functional aesthetics, while also establishing technological leadership in digital locking.”

The gold category is awarded to products the jury considers represent supreme achievement in international design. The German Design Award enjoys a first-class reputation across the board worldwide.

“Anyone who triumphs against the distinguished competition in these awards has successfully demonstrated that they are among the best,” said Andrej Kupetz, general manager at the German Design Council.

Digital and intelligent: door fitting and locking cylinder

The digital SmartIntego - SmartHandle for doors combines intelligent access control functions with an elegant, highly ergonomic design. Behind its slim, flat exterior, SmartHandle contains highly innovative technology. This door hardware uses RFID to communicate with ID media within the SimonsVoss Digital Locking and Control System 3060, controlling access for up to 64,000 users, restricted in terms of time and location. Battery replacement intervals of significantly more than ten years are also setting new standards. This digital door fitting offers a unique, outstanding advantage: It can be mounted quickly and easily without drilling holes through the door leaf or making any other structural alterations. Installation is essentially limited to the tightening of a single screw. 

The second product honoured with the Gold German Design Award is the digital SmartIntego - Locking Cylinder. The SimonsVoss Digital Locking System 3060 is the electronic version of a mechanical locking system with the functions of a typical access control system. SmartCards or PIN code keypads replace mechanical keys. The SmartIntego Digital Locking Cylinder is a true all-rounder. In addition to opening and locking, it also offers a large number of intelligent functions, such as access control with logging, time zone control, event management and door monitoring. Fitted in minutes, there is no need for any wiring or drilling. Standard button cells ensure power is reliably supplied for up to 80,000 locking transactions.

German Design Award – the premium German Design Council award

The German Design Award is the international premium award given by the German Design Council. Its aim is to identify, present and honour unique design trends. Top-quality entries in product and communications design are handed awards every year, each of them a ground-breaking creation on the international design landscape. Set up in 2012, the German Design Award is one of the world's most widely recognised design competitions and is held in high regard well beyond professional circles.

The German Design Award exacts extremely high standards when determining its award winners. During the nomination process, the German Design Council experts' committee only invites entries from products and communication design services that clearly stand out from the competition in terms of design quality. The jury decides on all awards during a two-day evaluation process.

The German Design Award has grown in size since its première in 2012, when some 1,500 entries were presented to the jury. This year, entries numbered 3,400 with 57 percent entered in the Excellent Product Design category and 43 percent in the Excellent Communications Design category. Of all entries, approximately 33 percent come from outside Germany. A total of 42 products and projects in the two categories took gold awards.

Categories for a wide selection of designs

The German Design Award is divided into Excellent Product Design and Excellent Communication Design segments to adequately reflect the variety in today’s product and communication culture. These cover all areas of daily life. The Gold, Winner and Special Mention awards are given in each of the competition categories.

Since September 2015, SimonsVoss Technologies GmbH is part of Allegion family of brands.  SimonsVoss Technologies GmbH is a dynamic, high-tech company with its headquarters in Unterföhring, near Munich, and its production and logistics centre in Osterfeld, eastern Germany. Since the market launch of its Digital Locking and Access Control System 3060 in 1998, the company has remodelled its locking technology, which had previously focused on mechanical systems. It is now regarded as a European technology leader for battery-operated electronic locking and access control systems.