Trends in door security innovation this year will continue to build on the progress made in key vertical markets and technologies in 2022, including the impact electronic access control (EAC) has on how office buildings are managed, the rapidly growing use of mobile credentials, the ongoing focus on K-12 security, low-touch and contactless access and the emergence of advanced biometrics.
As economic uncertainty mounts, it is more imperative than ever for companies to remain agile and forward-thinking to ensure facilities’ needs for safety, accountability and ease-of-use are met.
In the midst of innovating and staying ahead of the curve, it’s critical that security professionals, from manufacturers and integrators to security executives, partner closely together to create spaces that are conducive to learning, healing and working, without the stress of occupants feeling ‘locked down’.
Technology within the door security industry is advancing quickly and it is important to provide the latest tools, products and training to meet the changing needs of end-users.
EAC and digital access solutions
While some companies are now asking employees to return to the office full-time, many others continue to look for ways to accommodate the continuing trend of the hybrid workforce more effectively.
This rethinking of spaces means that security professionals must work closely with architects and end users to assess how many people may likely be coming in during a typical week. EAC data can shed light on these patterns and improve the planning process to identify which technologies are the best fit for a facility and that support the primary mission of the organization using that facility.
Integration of EAC with other security systems is also trending higher. In addition to managing people entering and exiting openings, access control provides the kind of data and interaction that’s useful for developing apps to schedule hoteling (reserving unassigned desks), meeting rooms and locker assignments. In addition, access control data capture is helping to make building management platforms smarter for improving comfort, wellness and energy efficiency by controlling HVAC, window coverings and lighting.
Mobile credentials
There are currently over 270 million smartphones in the US and people use them for everything, whether it’s paying for an item with a mobile wallet or activating a reader to gain access, particularly at the college and university level. Mobiles can be a very smart and reliable approach to credentialing since it’s very rare a person loses his/her phone, unlike entry badges or keys.
Other sectors are recognizing this flexibility as well, for the convenience it provides the user and for administrators who are responsible for issuing and modifying credentials, which can be implemented quickly and remotely.
Take shopping for example; the “amazonification” of so many businesses in the past three years is fueling the steady rise of package deliveries to college dormitories. The same applies to office buildings, multi-family units and even retail stores. This means greater demand for innovative access-controlled lockers to receive the deliveries, secure them and ensure privacy.
Along with lockers, EAC, mobile and intelligent locks have been making their way into more non-traditional openings, including server cabinets, medication drawers and lockers and critical unmanned infrastructure such as traffic control cabinets that dot nearly every intersection.
K-12 security
To date, this fact has held true: if you can keep a door to a learning space secured, the safer and more protected children and their teachers will be. Among K-12 schools, the current focus surrounds ensuring classroom doors are secured with proper locksets, retrofitting where required and reinforcing training for safe operation. The technology barrier to doing so is extremely low and these efforts are relatively low cost, especially considering what is at risk.
Classroom door locks that can only be locked and unlocked with a key from the outside (hall side) have been around for years and need to be replaced with models that don’t require a teacher to step into the same space an attacker might be in order to confirm the lock’s status. Models that automatically lock when the door is closed are now being more widely deployed and allow the teacher to lock the door from either side with the key and/or have an indicator to verify it’s secured.
Of course, for safety and code compliance, free egress is always necessary so everyone can get out in an emergency. There should also be accommodations that ensure first responders and other authorized personnel can gain entry when necessary.
The trend now is about ensuring the right classroom lockset solutions are in place and that faculty and staff are well-versed and consistently updated on proper operation and safety procedures.
Following the tragic events at Robb Elementary in Uvalde last year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was charged with creating rules to ensure a minimum level of safety on Texas school campuses. An initial draft of the proposed standards has been released, with final recommendations coming soon that could prove to be a model for school districts throughout the US.
Low-touch/touchless
In healthcare, touchless and low-touch access technologies, such as wave-to-open, automatic door operators, ADA-approved paddle trim, arm and foot pulls, etc., were developed as convenient opening solutions well before the onset of COVID-19. However, because of the pandemic, this category has been growing rapidly not only in healthcare, but all types of facilities.
These products help prevent the spread of germs and make it easier for staff and the public to pass through openings handsfree, improving access for those with mobility issues and disabilities.
Architectural aesthetics
When we think about trends, fashion and interior design often come to mind. Aesthetics apply to door openings and have become increasingly important to the architectural community and building industry. Just as fashion keeps upping the game by changing color palettes, textures and patterns, so does the interior design world – doors and door hardware included.
Retail stores often set the bar for interior design and inspire other commercial settings to follow. That’s why our company continuously invests in developing rich lines of styles, finishes, textures and color palettes for everything from levers and pulls to specialty doors and glass door hardware solutions. The key is designing security and architectural hardware to work in harmony and enhance the user experience within a space.
Glass is another trend that’s seeing continued growth due to its clean look, fire resistance and 100% recyclability. It also contributes to sustainability by allowing light and warmth into a space. Great strides have been made with access control locks and electric strikes for glass recently, especially with our Aperio low-profile solutions that are fast becoming a hit with architects and interior designers.
Cybersecurity
Originally, cybersecurity was about safeguarding computers and servers. Today, the focus is on the cybersecurity of networks and the growing number of interconnected IoT devices, including those that provide physical security like digital access solutions for door openings, traffic cabinets and power stations where a single breach could cripple major roadways and power grids.
The expansion of digital access solutions and their integration with other platforms means more devices are interconnected than ever. That’s why, as security requirements evolve and networked connectivity increases, there’s a laser focus in our industry on the evolution’s impacts on cybersecurity.
Many hacks become possible when unauthorized people can physically get into a network. Using access control and intelligent keys helps dramatically limit the number of people who need access to critical assets, which significantly reduces the risk of network breaches.
What’s next in contactless door solutions
Biometrics have been in use at high-security locations for a while, including data centers, financial institutions and government facilities where dual-factor authentication is required. Improving and scaling the technology to implement it across a wider range of markets is underway and has become desirable for those positioned to invest in it for their facilities.
For example, industries with large workforces are very motivated to deploy high-speed facial recognition at optical turnstiles to better facilitate shift changes in high-throughput openings.
Latin America has seen more adoption and growth in biometrics-based access control, such as the type of dedicated facial recognition (at the door) readers. There are a few good reasons why. Only some businesses in that region have the mobile device or backend infrastructure to support mobile credentials.
Also, card credentials in these countries are more vulnerable to theft or copying. Facial recognition on dedicated door readers just makes more practical sense for ensuring a higher level of security and safety. Plus, these systems tend to be more cost-effective overall.
With interest in biometric credentials growing, we’re witnessing a refresh of the technology. Earlier generation fingerprint and iris scan devices are being upgraded to technologies like four-finger wave and appliance or server-based advanced facial recognition. These and other detection technologies like gait recognition (GRT) continue to evolve and emerge at a rapid pace.
Concerns about privacy and inclusivity are being resolved in North America so wider applications for biometrics credentialing will inevitably start to grow in the US in the near future.
Training and professional consultation
Tying all of this together is the ongoing need for security professionals to stay current on these trends, application techniques and building designs. One easy way is through the ASSA ABLOY Academy. As COVID-19 restrictions change, the appetite for training, particularly in person, has returned. In 2022, over 27,000 professionals completed in-person and virtual training, earning nearly 20,000 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) or other credit hours, with that number expected to grow this year.
Complementing ASSA ABLOY’s training initiatives is the growing demand for the company’s Professional Consultation to support schools, healthcare and corporations in finding the smartest solutions for their access security needs.
Through education and hands-on consultation, we help our partners determine smart solutions for their building challenges, while giving them the tools they need to stay current, credentialed and competitive.
This article was originally published in the February edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.