Clearview National February 2020 - Issue 219 | Page 62

HARDWARE
Experts at the Master
Locksmiths Association
Review Security
Trends for 2020
» TECHNOLOGY HAS
transformed almost all aspects of
our daily lives. We can pay bills
and organise banking from our
smartphones, adjust our home
heating remotely via mobile app,
and use the same phone to manage
our travel.
Forecasters predict that the next
big thing to be revolutionised
by technology is home and car
security.
Experts at the Master Locksmiths
Association, the UK’s leading
organisation for locksmiths,
consider the technology trends
facing the security industry in
2020 and what it will mean for
consumers.
Dr Steffan George, Managing
Director of the MLA, which
represents the business interests
of over 1,400 locksmiths across
the UK, reviews some of these
emerging trends and gives his views
on what they will mean for home
security.
Concerns and perceived threats
to personal safety in both the
home and in public places are
fuelling a growing demand for
security solutions for both domestic
and commercial properties, and
consequently the market for these
products is expected to grow in
2020. Increased affordability and
accessibility of new technologies
is also contributing to this market
growth.
The need for action is clear.
Home Office statistics show that
homes with no security are five
times more likely to be burgled
than those with simple security
measures in place.
Technology is expected to play
a bigger part in home security
in 2020 with more residential
properties equipped with solutions
that can be accessed remotely
via mobile devices including
smartphones, tablets and laptops.
FINGERPRINT DOOR
LOCKS AND FACIAL
RECOGNITION
SOFTWARE
This used to be the stuff
of James Bond films and spy
thrillers, but now this technology
is becoming increasingly popular
and accessible for homeowners
and businesses. Biometric
electronic security systems
work by using a person’s unique
physical characteristics including
fingerprints, face or iris recognition
to grant or block access to specific
doors, rooms or buildings.
A fingerprint door lock works by
recognising the unique fingerprints
of a select group of authorised
personnel or residents and using
them to unlock doors and provide
access to a property. The cost of this
technology used to be prohibitively
expensive which limited its
application, but now fingerprint
locks are widely available and are
more accessible. One crucial issue
to consider when installing new
technologies is to build in a back-
up for when the technology goes
wrong. The MLA recommends
installing a hybrid system
that incorporates a traditional
mechanical lock alongside a
biometric one to provide the best of
both worlds and to ensure that the
biometric system can be bypassed,
62 » F EB 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
and the door still used when and if
the power goes down.
Experts at the MLA also advise
that the correct installation of
smart locks is very important to
how well they work. One common
problem with the introduction
of smart technologies is the
installation of smart locks
on existing traditional door
locks. This investment does
not enhance security and if
not installed by a professional
locksmith can actually be
detrimental. All smart locks
and security systems should
be specified and fitted by
professional locksmiths to
ensure that they are fit for
purpose and address the
specific security requirements of an
individual property.
WIRELESS HOME
SECURITY – AN
INTEGRATED
SMART HOME
The trend for creating smart
homes will continue into 2020
with people integrating more
technology into managing their
homes. Heating, entertainment
systems, appliances and security
can all be smart enabled and
controlled via mobile devices.
Smart, wireless home security
systems are becoming increasingly
common as prices drop and
technology improves.
Installing a house or business
alarm used to require expensive
fixed installation costs with security
systems and CCTV networks
reserved for those with big budgets;
now smart wireless solutions are
‘Forecasters
predict that the
next big thing to
be revolutionised
by technology
is home and
car security’
available, providing convenient and
accessible alternatives.
With fast, reliable Wi-Fi and
a smartphone it is possible to
create a safe, smart and secure
home using a system that can
be easily installed, controlled
and monitored via an app from
anywhere in the world. With
wireless sensors connected to a
motion-sensing camera people
can monitor their home remotely,
using just their mobile phone.
Renters and homeowners
who move house frequently can
also benefit from these portable
wireless systems, allowing them to
disconnect and reconnect at a new
address without disruption to either
property.
One of the major obstacles
to using wireless home security,
after cost, has traditionally been
reliability. Interference from other
devices and structural interference