Today, it feels normal to walk into a gym at any hour, swipe a fob or tap a phone, and start training. But less than twenty years ago, the idea of an unmanned gym open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week was unthinkable.
In 2007, Jetts Fitness founder Brendon Levinson, together with Innertelligence and Stay Safe Security Monitoring, turned that idea into reality. What began as a bold experiment in Queensland became the blueprint for a global fitness revolution.
This is the insider’s story of how 24/7 gyms were born, how they scaled across countries, and how the next revolution — driven by AI — is about to change the rules again.
A Different Kind of Gym
Jetts wasn’t conceived as a 24/7 business model. It started as a different kind of gym altogether.
Levinson saw an opportunity for:
- Smaller, friendlier gyms with lighter weights, so everyday people could feel comfortable training without being intimidated by “muscle machines.”
- Affordable franchise options, so new owners could start their own gyms without the huge overheads of big-box clubs.
- Simple operations backed by a strong franchise system.
Members loved it. Owners found it attainable. Jetts was born.
But then came the big question:
👉 What if the gym never closed?
The Radical Leap: 24/7 Access
In 2007, the thought of running a gym without staff at 2am was considered reckless. What about safety? What about security? What about lost revenue if people slipped in without paying?
To make it work, Jetts partnered with Innertelligence, who set about creating a system that didn’t exist anywhere else in the world.
- ITAC (Innertelligence Automation Centre) replaced confusing beeps with clear spoken warnings like “The front door is open — please close it.” ITAC also allowed monitoring operators to cut the music, speak directly to members, and restore it afterwards.
- Tailgate Detection Analytics identified unauthorised entries.
- Customised Back-to-Base Monitoring re-engineered alarm station protocols for gyms rather than warehouses.
- Annual Maintenance and Remote Support ensured problems were fixed before they caused downtime.
Each gym received a preconfigured kit — consistent, tested, and ready to install. This uniformity meant the system scaled seamlessly as Jetts opened site after site.
The world’s first 24/7 fitness clubs opened — and the industry changed forever.
Building Security That Was Secure — and Fair
Even something as simple as the access fob needed rethinking. Discount fobs were cheap but easily duplicated — a direct threat to revenue and member trust.
Innertelligence sourced a different path. We engaged a supplier in China to design a custom encrypted fob and reader system, locked together so tags couldn’t be cloned.
But we also took a fair approach. Each reader was built with dual technology:
- One encrypted, secure, and unique to Jetts.
- One open standard, so that if Jetts and Innertelligence ever parted ways, Jetts wouldn’t be locked into a proprietary trap.
Secure, but fair.
Intelligence in Action: Watch, Learn, Adapt
The secret behind the success wasn’t just technology. It was intelligence — the willingness to learn from real-world problems and adapt quickly.
- When a cooling system failed and members propped open the door for airflow, Innertelligence built door-open monitoring and escalation. First, an in-club ITAC audio warning. If ignored, the event escalated to the monitoring station.
- To address blind spots in membership software, Innertelligence developed Doorguard: a GUI that gave managers real-time visibility of members checking in. Unlike membership systems that only produced reports after the fact, Doorguard allowed staff to:
- Instantly review tailgate events.
- See exactly who accessed the gym in real time.
- Verify a member’s identity with a single click whenever required.
- When people tried to cheat tailgate counters by swiping the same card multiple times, we developed a card-to-body comparison system to detect and stop the trick.
Every incident made the system smarter. This wasn’t just access control — it was a living, learning ecosystem that grew more intelligent with every club.
Making Insight Work for a New World
The network-level challenge was even greater. Jetts wanted members to join one club and access them all. But the Inner Range Insight system was never designed for that.
Innertelligence worked directly with Inner Range to re-engineer the platform. Together, we created a solution where:
- A member could join one Jetts gym.
- Their credentials would be valid at every Jetts club in the network, so long as their membership was current.
This was groundbreaking. But the early days were tough: servers sat on slow connections and were prone to interruptions.
Innertelligence stepped up. We provided the servers, managed them, and stayed on call to react instantly when issues arose.
The Human Link: Stay Safe Security Monitoring
Technology alone couldn’t make 24/7 gyms viable. The monitoring had to evolve too. From the very first club, Stay Safe Security Monitoring was a critical partner.
They went beyond traditional monitoring, which was designed for warehouses and offices. Together with Innertelligence, they created a fitness-specific monitoring model:
- Dedicated Emergency Phone Lines connected directly to Innertelligence-installed duress phones.
- Visual Verification allowed operators to view live cameras before acting.
- Critical Response Prioritisation meant emergencies took precedence over minor alerts.
- Direct Interaction with Members — operators could cut the music, speak directly, then restore it.
- Remote Door Control enabled verified emergency responders to be admitted safely.
This approach was groundbreaking in 2007 — and remains unmatched today. Other monitoring stations have tried to replicate it, but none have been able to deliver the same level of service.
Service Without Business Hours
24/7 gyms demanded a new support philosophy. A system fault at 3am couldn’t wait until 9am.
Innertelligence created a “just in time” service culture.
When a club called in the middle of the night, our technicians answered. We logged in remotely to resolve issues where possible, and when onsite attendance was needed, we gave clear next steps so the manager knew exactly what would happen.
Even when problems couldn’t be fixed instantly, the peace of mind was real. As new customers often told us: “Our old security company never picked up the phone at that time of the morning.”
For us, it was simple:
👉 If the gym never closes, neither do we.
Real-World Proof: Member Safety
The systems weren’t just theoretical. They worked — and sometimes they prevented costly legal battles.
In one incident, a member claimed he had been injured by faulty equipment. But because Jetts clubs had comprehensive camera coverage of all active areas, the truth was revealed: the member had placed a plastic step under himself to misuse the machine in an unsafe way.
That footage prevented a lawsuit. It also reinforced why the original Jetts model insisted on proper coverage, verification, and reporting — not just for security, but for duty of care.
Expansion Into New Zealand
When Jetts expanded into New Zealand, Innertelligence was there too. We created a separate but linked division so members could use gyms across both countries seamlessly.
At the height of growth, we were completing full fitouts for six gyms every month. Despite the pace, one fact never changed:
👉 Not once was a club delayed due to Innertelligence systems.
Every gym opened on time. Every door worked. The model scaled because the systems scaled.
And our systems weren’t just “ready on opening day.” We ensured security was operational well before equipment arrived. The delivery and installation phase was the most vulnerable time for theft and break-ins — so our systems were always up and reporting to Stay Safe long before members swiped in for the first time.
Copycats, Expansion, and Legacy
The success of Jetts sparked imitators. Competitors began copying Jetts’ approach — installing the same cameras, duress devices, Inner Range panels, and even mimicking programming styles.
Some worked. Many didn’t.
Even today, when gyms call Innertelligence asking for new integrations, we often find traces of our original design still powering their systems, even if someone else installed it years ago.
Internationally, the same happened. In the Netherlands, Jetts initially attempted to recreate the system without Innertelligence. But when code and integrations fell short, they re-engaged us to restore the reliability of the Australian model.
👉 You can copy hardware. You can copy a wiring diagram. But you can’t copy the depth of investigation and refinement that built the original.
When IT Meets Security: A Different Skillset
As the system evolved, it increasingly sat on company IP networks and became subject to corporate IT policies. On paper, this seemed logical. In practice, it revealed a critical distinction: IT management is not security management.
In several cases, IT professionals within franchise groups or parent companies attempted to take control of the system. They had the technical knowledge to redirect traffic, but not the real-world security expertise to manage what the system actually required.
One company even instructed us to train their IT staff in how the system worked. We provided the knowledge, but the result was telling: the network remained almost unusable for the purpose of transmitting time-critical security messages.
The lesson was clear:
👉 While modern access control panels like Inner Range Inception and Integriti operate on IP networks, managing them effectively is well outside the skillset of most IT professionals.
These systems are not just about packets and bandwidth — they are about life safety, intrusion detection, and critical business continuity. They demand security knowledge first, IT knowledge second.
Beyond Jetts: Serving the Wider Industry
While Jetts was the birthplace of the 24/7 gym revolution, today Innertelligence services much more than one brand.
We provide security, monitoring, and mobile access systems for:
- Global names like Gold’s Gym,
- Hundreds of independent operators and one-man bands,
- And a growing number of wellness and recovery spaces.
The reason is simple: the system we designed for Jetts was always built to be adaptable, scalable, and evolving.
As the industry shifts, so do we. With recovery now becoming the new norm — from saunas to ice baths to pods — Innertelligence has extended its platform to handle booking-based access, real-time safety monitoring, and multi-site control in exactly the same way it transformed gyms.
Whether it’s a single door for a boutique operator or a national franchise network spanning hundreds of sites, the principles remain the same:
👉 Intelligence, adaptability, and reliability.
Still Innovating: Mobile Access for a Global Market
That same philosophy drives Innertelligence today.
Our newest breakthrough is a standalone mobile access solution that makes entry as simple as pressing a button on your phone.
- The system validates membership instantly, then opens the door.
- It’s already being incorporated into major platforms like Mindbody Online.
- It’s adaptable to almost any access control system worldwide — Inner Range, Paxton, Brivo, and beyond.
For operators, this means no more fobs, fewer headaches, and lower costs. For members, it’s the most seamless experience yet.
Like the original 24/7 model, it’s a simple idea — but one with global impact.
The Next Revolution: AI-Driven Gyms
In 2007, the revolution was trusting members to train without staff.
In 2025, the revolution will be trusting the system itself to think.
The pain points today aren’t access. They’re the unknowns between the swipes:
- Did that tailgate just cost me revenue?
- Is that duress alert real or accidental?
- Will that reader fail at 5am tomorrow?
Artificial Intelligence will change the game again:
- AI as a Silent Manager: recognising genuine emergencies, spotting aggression, and filtering out false alarms.
- AI as a Predictor: learning the behaviour of locks, readers, and networks to predict failures before they happen.
- AI as a Protector: identifying the difference between harmless behaviour and genuine distress, escalating only when needed.
First, we trusted members without staff.
Now, we will trust systems with intelligence.
A Call to the Next Generation
For entrepreneurs opening their first gym or visionaries planning a global franchise, the lessons are clear:
- Bold ideas demand intelligent partners.
- Systems must evolve as fast as your members’ expectations.
- The right foundation can carry you through growth, leadership changes, and competition.
The story of 24/7 gyms proves it.
Innertelligence was there at the birth of the revolution. We carried it through its rapid growth. And now, we’re preparing to lead the next leap — one where gyms don’t just open 24/7, but think 24/7.
Every empire starts with a bold question.
For Jetts, it was: What if gyms never closed?
For the next generation, it is: What if gyms could think for themselves?
👉 The systems are ready. The only question is: who will be bold enough to ask it?
