As IHS states, 2014 proved to be a busy year for the access control industry which brought an abundance of innovation and change, with some suppliers even challenging our perception of security.
Does security require components and solutions to work independently and remain isolated from other applications or should security entertain the idea of an open ecosystem of devices interacting to paint a clearer picture of an environment?
In 2014, the access control industry begun to rapidly embrace IT and other more convenience-based solutions more so than in any year prior. Mobile devices and remote management dominated industry news with the residential, hotel and education verticals spearheading the movement. These changes will impact all facets of the access control industry as IT becomes more influential.
Subsequently in 2015, IHS expects a continuation and implementation of the trends from 2014, notably with more focus on software, Bluetooth Smart with wearables and wireless locks, especially in smart home applications.
We publish today the first part of IHS white paper on the top access control trends for 2015. The second part and the third one will be published in the coming days.
TOP ACCESS CONTROL TRENDS FOR 2015 (the first part)
Not a question of if, but when: Mobile credentials will see more widespread uptake in 2-3 years’ time.
Advantages:
– Reduce administrative cost of printing and maintaining credentials
– Provisioning and registering made easier
– Mobile phones are lost less often
– Passcodes on mobile phones add a layer of security
– Combine legacy card technologies with mobile access
– Reduce cost of buying hundreds (or thousands) of plastic credentials
Barriers:
Will NFC or Bluetooth Smart be the technology of choice?
NFC can be used with most smart card readers today with minimal updates, but there are fewer phones available with this technology enabled for non-payment transactions.
Bluetooth is available on all smartphones today, but the existing access control reader infrastructure does not support Bluetooth.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) adds risk to the organization. Who will manage the mobile device?
The IT or security department could manage the device.
Secure Element (SE) cannot be widely accessed without extensive and expensive partnerships Most providers of NFC-based access control currently use encryption methods located in the “sand box” (host operating system) of the handset only, not the SE.
By using host card emulation (HCE), providers can offer NFC outside of the SE.
Similar to access control as a service (ACaaS), selling mobile credentials will present new challenges and rewards for channel partners.
More than 35% of electronic locks shipped in 2015 will be wireless online, IHS projects
• Electromechanical and mechatronic were the most talked-about product over past 12 months
• Electronic locks allow more doors to be online
• Reduces installation cost and time spent with each end user
• Online flexibility to be installed in remote locations in all weather climates by using mechatronic locks, where battery and access rights are often held in the key
• Offline flexibility among static, programmable and read/write
• Use flexibility: cabinets, lockers, carts, doors, etc
With hardware becoming more commoditized, services are key to differentiation
Example:
Residential security market is becoming increasingly competitive, but brand of hardware is not a focus during marketing and selling. Instead, value is driven by services, expertise and customer satisfaction.
Integration:
Bringing together disparate systems and having them work cohesively to drive value. This includes integrating human resources (HR), visitor management, student databases, contractors and risk/compliance protocols.
Cloud-based services:
Many mega trends impacting access control market today arecloselytied to IT. A ccess control industry over next 10 years will be reshaped by Physical Logical Access Interoperability (PLAI) and role-based access control (RBAC) as it relates to logical, physical and HR integration, as well as implementation of new methods to assign access control rights.
As the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution heats up and IT becomes more integral to security, closets with servers and PCs will become a thing of the past
Intelligence is being pushed closer to the edge.
Average number of readers per panel is quickly decreasing, IHS expects.
Despite many panels being capable of managing 100+ readers, average reader per panel is nearing 30 or less .
Edge devices are getting smarter .All – in – one readers and panel devices can display information on training requirements, meetings, visitors and other important information specific to each employee.
Web-based panels allow management from any Web browser.
Wireless locks can connect to a gateway or via a mesh network, vastly reducing cabling.
Management of PACS is also decentralizing with the adoption of ACaaS. Third party servers/ services combined with OPEX and CAPEX can greatly reduce cost per door while removing on-site equipment.
by the Editorial Staff
