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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
March 15, 2016

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Whitepaper: Multi-residential access management – The move to digital

Could this 8,000-Year-Old Technology be in its Death Throes?

Very few businesses will use the traditional lock and key 10 years from now, 62% of security professionals believe.

medieval lock in katmandhu

A mere few hundred years old: Medieval padlock in a Hindu temple in Kathmandu, Nepal (photo: Sigismund von Dobschütz, under CC by SA 3.0)

A majority of security professionals who manage, operate or procure access-control systems believe the humble lock and key could be on its way out.

This is one of the many insights revealed in a white paper – The Wireless Access Control Report 2016 – published recently by IFSEC Global and ASSA ABLOY.

Exploring the views of a wide range of security professionals the paper revealed the depth of concern about the deficiencies of conventional locks, the earliest incarnation of which was found in the ruins of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria. As digital locks grow more reliable, secure and cost-effective, they’re even, as part of the ‘smart home’ trend, gaining a foothold in a domestic market hitherto – shared main entrances aside – the sole preserve of traditional locks.

A majority of the heads of security, facility managers, IT professionals surveyed as part of the research also believed that mechanical key systems don’t offer a high level of security and control (67%).

Which of these statements about traditional mechanical locks do you agree with

Control is certainly something electronic locks are getting better at providing. As well as key cards, fobs and pin codes access control providers are now offering remote access via smartphone – a subject covered extensively in another new access control white paper, The Access Control Report 2016: Legacy Infrastructure and Motivations for Upgrading (sponsored by ASSA ABLOY subsidiary HID Global.

In a context of rapid digital innovation the humble mechanical key is looking rather antiquated – as well it might, being a technology that’s being with us for some 8,000 years. Some 77% of those polled in the ASSA ABLOY survey consider key handling to be ‘difficult and time consuming’.

An even more resounding majority (86%) consider lost keys to be a security risk, in stark contrast to readily deactivated access cards.

Nevertheless, Blake Kozak, principal analyst for research firm IHS, who offers expert analysis throughout the ASSA ABLOY white paper, believes forecasts of the traditional lock and key’s demise are premature:

Although electronic locking systems will continue to see strong growth, IHS does not expect the mechanical locks market to decline. Globally, mechanical cylinders are projected to grow by about 4.6% by volume in 2016.”

Despite the growing reliability of digital access control, several respondents did express misgivings about relying on battery power, the threat of power failure and insurers who “insist on mechanical locking out of hours.”

As another respondent observed, the future is perhaps hybrid:

For providing a high level of security, from my point of view, a general lock system should combine traditional mechanical locks and a modern access control system.”

Download the Wireless Access Control Report 2016 for more insights and analysis on the installed base of access control systems, the merits of wireless versus wired systems and training requirements, among other things.

ASSA ABLOY mechantronic cards

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Terrasyss
March 16, 2016 2:00 am

Hi Adam, Great article that caused me to think. I do have a pointer that may assist you in the future. I’d like to share it with you if I may. The questionnaire could do with a little revision as it appears biased. Allow me to explain. For example, the opening sentence ‘which of these statements do you agree with’…. well…. it’s kind of salesman pitch. To obtain reliable data it might be ‘neutral’; for example, ‘please rate from 1-5’ In addition, the questions themselves are ‘leading’ – a bit like your wife asking you ‘do you like my dress?’… Read more »

Adam Bannister
March 16, 2016 5:23 pm

Terrasyss Thanks for the feedback. I do see your point. Surveys are trickier to put together than many people might imagine. Pitch a question slightly wrong and, as you say, it can elicit misleading responses. Same problem with scientific studies (albeit countless other variables at play).