special feature: ACCESS CONTROL / trends Access control today Cloud solutions, mobile credentials and integration are some of the most prominent trends of the access control market today. Detektor has talked to some of the leading companies in the market and listed four main headlines to sum up what is happening in the market right now and what is to come. By Henrik Söderlund Wireless and mobile IHS Markit forecasts that 44 million mobile credentials will be downloaded by 2021, up from just 1 million in 2016. When Vanderbilt recently listed some of the main trends in the access control market, the company stressed that mobile access control is in high demand right now from end users looking for a way to incorporate their mobile phones with certain access levels within their organisation. Businesses see mobile solutions as an opportunity to enhance flexibility by integrating mobile access into offices at varying levels. Wired to wireless Customers seek a better experience from building security and according to Thomas Schulz, Assa Abloy EMEA Director Marketing and Communications for Digital and Access Solutions, making use of convenient technologies like smartphones seems like a logical starting point. He says: “In fact, we do detect fast-growing interest in mobile credentials: unlocking a door with a smartphone, in other words.” Thomas Schulz also stresses that there is an on-going migration taking place from wired to wireless electronic locking in business premises. He says: “In our 2018 biennial survey of senior security professionals, the share of respondents with a fully-hardwired access control system fell below 50 per cent for the first time. Wireless solutions with secure, battery-powered locks are spreading fast.” Dahn Sadarangani, Regional Sales Manager for Northern Eastern Europe at HID, believes mobile access solutions is the biggest access control trend for the mid-end market. Using the mobile device offers several advantages to end users, such as convenience, efficiency and security. There is no need to carry a card, you can open the door from a distance, and there is intuitive user interaction with ”Tap”, ”Twist and Go” and widget options. Physical access administration is made easier with online processes and each mobile ID can be bound to the device, you have the possibility to revoke credentials over-theair and you can address vulnerabilities quickly through remote updates. Cloud solutions and access control-as-a-service The acceptance of cloud products and cloud services are increasing within access control. They provide benefits such as quicker installation time, automatic software updates, flexibility and mobility, managed services and increased cyber security. Also, you can investigate alarms, enable/ disable credentials and view businesses who have never owned an access control system before. Tom Rockliff, Regional Sales Manager for Northwestern Europe at Johnson Controls, believes cloud services and access control-as-a-service will be very prominent in the future, at least in the medium and low-end market. He says: I think the monthly subscription model will become a more regular route to market. footage tied to access control systems from any location at any time. IHS Markit has estimated that the access-controlas-a-service market revenues will increase to 950 million dollars by 2022. The demand for access-control-as-a-service has grown rapidly over the past five years, and this growth is expected to continue according to IHS Markit. It is increasing the penetration of access control systems in buildings, and many end users are owners of small and medium-sized “I think the monthly subscription model will become a more regular route to market. People have now started to pay a monthly subscription rather than make an outright purchase.” However, this model is easier for big system integrators to implement, because of the revenue collection model. Tom Rockliff says: “Smaller players do not usually have the infrastructure to collect the money, whereas the large companies do”. Dahn Sadarangani, Regional Sales Manager for Northern Eastern Europe at HID. Thomas Schulz, Assa Abloy EMEA Director Marketing and Communications for Digital and Access Solutions. Tom Rockliff, Regional Sales Manager for Northwestern Europe at Johnson Controls. 14 • d etekto r internati onal