Predicting Trends in Access Control for 2021 (and Beyond) — Part 1
Coronavirus has turned the world upside down forcing many to work from home which has raised all sorts of questions around security. Not only are people faced with the security of their smartphones, tablets, and computers to ward off cyberattacks which have become more prevalent, the bigger question is the security of half-empty buildings.
We’ve found as the pandemic spread, buildings in universities, municipalities, and government buildings are exposed to security threats as its not practical to man them 24/7with security personnel. This brings us to the question of what are the trends in access control in the future.
Why You Need Innovative Access Control
Traditional access into a home or business environment was the old lock and key, hardly secure at all as keys were easy to lose, easy to duplicate and if given to others, you ever knew where they could end up.
Then along came the security passcards which had an individual’s unique data encoded on it. The card would consist of a name, ID#, and what level of access they had which would determine where they could and go within a building. To allow access it required the use of card readers that could read the information stored on the card. There were three types of card readers available, either a swipe card reader where the cardholder would swipe their card through a narrow slot on the side of the reader, an insert card reader where the cardholder would insert their card, or the proximity card reader where the cardholder would hold the card up to the card reader all of which would unlock a door.
As with any new technology, access control then become more sophisticated with the introduction of Bluetooth and the future of Access Control Security.
What is New in Access Control?
When some people think of access control they might conjure up a picture of James Bond using a fancy shiny device to open a door from a distance. This is not too far from the truth. That shiny device could be a simple door handle that can be activated by a smartphone. We know that 98% of people have a smartphone yet only a very small percentage use them to unlock the door to their office or home.
Smartphones have made huge inroads into access control giving mobility coupled with technology allowing users to ditch their cards completely and use smartphone connectivity instead. The introduction of mobile-enabled access control has revolutionized the access control industry. It gives residents and employees frictionless access through doors that are secured, elevators, and even turnstiles as this technology authenticate identity and grants entry. The big advantage is it lowers maintenance costs of credential management, allows greater flexibility, and improves privacy concerns.
A recent development in access control cards is the smart card. Unlike the proximity card which offers minimal security or the swipe card which is easily copied, the smart card offers advanced security. They feature an embedded integrated circuit which is capable of storing more data and can write data in addition to reading it. Smart cards are suitable for commercial and residential building access mainly because with encrypted credentials that need to be decrypted by a reader it makes them more secure.
Although physical cards will continue to play an important role in securely granting and restricting access, combining these cards with digital identity takes access control to a new level. With the introduction of biometric technology embedded into smartphones using iris scanning and fingerprint recognition, this adds an even greater level of access security.
The Future of Access Control
It’s expected that the access control market is expected to grow 8.24% by 2024 taking the market from USD 7.5 billion in 2018 to USD 12.1 billion. This is mostly due to the advances and deployment of wireless technology and the adoption of cloud technology. Where we see the biggest growth is in the residential market with smartphones controlling smart homes. Coupled with the increase in crime, homeowners can now see who is at their front door relayed via video to their smartphone where they can determine whether to grant access.
If your goal is to protect the health safety and security of those who come into your building and the assets contained in the building, access control is a must, not an option. Call the professionals at LaTech at 866-779-4897 to learn more about access control or schedule your free consultation today!
Be sure to stayed tuned for when Part 2 of Predicting Access Control Trends 2021 continues in November!