In this Q&A, Peter Boriskin, Chief Technology Officer, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Americas discusses some of the access control innovations currently on the market helping to improve security.

What are the biggest trends in access control right now?

The biggest trends in access control all center around the idea of convergence.

Convergence has long been a trend we’ve discussed in the security industry, but its application has evolved. In its earliest stages, it was all about the convergence of video and access control, then moved on to IT and security and is now focused on the convergence of physical and cybersecurity.

We are also seeing the convergence of convenience and security with mobile credentials, smart lockers and video intercoms, as well as more interconnectivity between systems.

Building management systems, for instance, can use security data to know whether a space is occupied to determine settings for lighting or temperature controls.

How does ASSA ABLOY deliver the best products to its customers?

While we are not necessarily focused on delivering trends, we do seek to understand the evolving needs of our customers.

We do this by looking at how we can help customers create safer, more secure environments that allow them to focus on their primary objectives.

A school, for example, should be able to focus on learning, while a hospital’s attention should be on patient care.

Ensuring that facilities offer a true sense of safety and security removes a significant barrier required for success.

We then look at how we can use the latest developments to ensure that security is easy, accessible, flexible and scalable.

We also continuously evaluate what acquisitions are needed in our growing family of safety and security products, to help us address our customers’ needs effectively.

Two recent acquisitions that support this goal are the Luxer One smart lockers and DoorBird IP intercom systems.  

What kind of access control challenges does ASSA ABLOY help to mitigate?

We’re able to help customers mitigate the cost and complexity of deploying access control throughout their facility with a range of wireless solutions that offer not only cost savings, but faster and simpler installations, reduced disruption and proven reliability.

Wireless access control also allows you to add access control to applications that would be difficult or cost-prohibitive to secure with traditional solutions, such as cabinets, lockers, drawers and all-glass openings.

The range of wireless solutions available makes it possible to find the right solution for every budget and every security requirement.

Our access control solutions also help organizations increase efficiency. One university leveraged our Aperio wireless locks to help them achieve their goal of maximizing the use of the campus’s academic buildings by providing students and faculty with the ability to reserve classrooms and meeting spaces for extra-curricular activities.

Our solution allowed the university to free up 15 staff hours per day to work on other high-priority activities.

Another university utilized Openings Studio from ASSA ABLOY to help them capture the data for all the door openings on campus to ensure that this information was accounted for as they prepared for the retirement of a staff member with extensive knowledge.

Beyond accelerating the digitization of door openings to streamline commissioning, installations, maintenance and asset control, the Openings Studio software provides the university with extensive architectural tools such as door templates, parts lookup tables and 3D visualization.

What is it that makes ASSA ABLOY unique in the market?

ASSA ABLOY combines the expertise of the industry’s most knowledgeable door opening experts with a comprehensive product offering of leading door and hardware brands.

We are dedicated to creating access for the future and every day, we help billions of people move through a safer, more open world with ease.

How do you predict the access control market will evolve in the future?

The next five to ten years will be noteworthy for the access control market.

The ability to use all the data we collect from access control devices will propel security from a necessary expense into a value-added business driver.

This article was originally published in the September edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.