access control in focus arket heading? bring the industry together. Despite these efforts, the access control market remains mostly proprietary and is now one of the last of the security industry sectors to fully embrace open standards. For example, the intruder alarm market took big steps toward creating open standards in 2015, and this year will prove to be even more exciting with the Z-Wave becoming UL certified in the fourth quarter. Software and integrations are also focal points, as suppliers look to differentiate themselves from competitors. Positive results expected Today’s customers expect access control to provide security beyond the door. Access control can be used to collect data on building efficiencies or joined with compliance standards to maintain a safe work environment. Access control software can also monitor anomalies in daily habits and schedules, to detect potentially malicious behaviour that can cause network and computer downtime. “We expect continued positive results for the access control market for the remainder of the year, as end-users look to protect their assets in an uncertain marketplace. Thanks to innovations and technology improvements, access control suppliers, integrators and dealers are well positioned to offer customised and turnkey solutions, with the opportunity for upselling and repeat business from electronic locks, mobile credentials and professional monitoring services,” concludes Blake Kozak. Eastern Europe – a bright spot on the European market Although the overall european market for electronic physical access control devices grew only by 5.5 per cent in 2015, according to IHS analysts, Eastern Europe has been a bright spot for the industry. Between 2015 and 2020, the Polish market is forecast to grow at a 13.1 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and the Czech Republic will grow at a CAGR of 9 percent from 2015 to 2020. Alexander Derricott, access control & fire analyst at IHS has found that there have been substantial changes in end user outlook in Eastern Europe surrounding the need for access control systems. Now end users have decided that the investment in high-quality electronic locks, advanced reader types (such as Mifare Desfire and Iclass SE) and other advanced access control systems is worthwhile. Concerns over Russia have led to investment Rising security concerns in the region causes this shift in end user perceptions. Poland has not been affected directly by the territorial disputes occurring farther east in Ukraine, but the Poles are acutely aware that the region could become more unsettled if the situation were to escalate. Security concerns over Russia have led to investment in governmental access control, and government policy on access control is causing a similar impact on the private sector as well. Investment was initially focused on critical infrastructure and government markets, but now manufacturing, commercial and financial markets are experiencing big upticks in growth. Investment is also spread through each of these vertical markets, with suppliers reporting that both new construction and the retrofit markets are benefiting from the surge in available money funds. Czech Republic slowing down The Czech Republic is also interested in better higher quality access control products, and security concerns have played a major role in driving the market forward, but to a lesser extent than in Poland. The Czech economy has also been performing far better than previous expectations. The economic outlook for the country peaked in 2015 with gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 4.3 per cent, supported by strong industrial production. IHS Economic Country Risk forecasts show industry production will continue to be strong, but with risks mounting, a slowdown in GDP back to the 3 per cent range will occur in 2016. 9.5 per cent growth Due to the growth experienced in these countries, a variety of small local manufacturers have started to appear – both on the hardware side and the software side. The growth of local companies should help develop end-user confidence in the whole market, which should lead to more long-term projects. These local companies will have an added advantage in regional markets, as they are better able to tailor their products to local tastes and can also be more reactive to end user demands. Recent success in Poland and the Czech Republic is starting to encourage development in adjacent countries – including increased growth in Hungary, Serbia and the Baltic region. Companies based in Poland and the Czech Republic will likely play a big role in shaping the market in the rest of Eastern Europe, which is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.5 per cent from 2015 to 2020. Alexander Derricot, analyst at IHS. Summary: ✔ The global access control market is expected to grow 7.2 per cent this year. ✔ The most successful and fast growing access control companies in 2015 did not focus on only one segment of the total available market. ✔ The growth of credentials is slowing down. ✔ Access control hardware installed base expected to reach 2.3 billion units in 2016. The global access control market grew 6.6 per cent in 2015. Security News Every Day – www. securityworldhotel.com dete kto r in te r n at i on al • 1 5