22 | FEBRUARY 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
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 revolution-
ised by technology is home and
car security.
Experts at the Master Lock-
smiths Association, the UK’s
leading organisation for lock-
smiths, consider the technol-
ogy 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 se-
curity solutions for both domestic
and commercial properties, and
consequently the market for
these products is expected to
grow in 2020. Increased afforda-
bility 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 resi-
dential 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 thrill-
ers, but now this technology is
becoming increasingly popular
and accessible for homeowners
and businesses. Biometric elec-
tronic security systems work by
using a person’s unique physical
characteristics including finger-
prints, face or iris recognition to
grant or block access to specif-
ic doors, rooms or buildings.
A fingerprint door lock works
by recognising the unique fin-
gerprints of a select group of
authorised personnel or resi-
dents and using them to unlock
doors and provide access to
a property. The cost of this
technology used to be prohib-
itively expensive which limited
its application, but now finger-
print 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 biom-
etric system can be bypassed,
and the door still used when and
if the power goes down.
Experts at the MLA also
advise that the correct instal-
lation of smart locks is very
important to how well they work.
One common problem with the
introduction of smart technolo-
gies is the installation of smart
locks on existing traditional
door locks. This investment does
not enhance security and if not
installed by a professional lock-
smith can actually be detrimen-
tal. All smart locks and security
systems should be specified
and fitted by professional lock-
smiths 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 securi-
ty can all be smart enabled and
controlled via mobile devices.
Smart, wireless home security
systems are becoming increas-
ingly common as prices drop
and technology improves.
Installing a house or business
alarm used to require expensive
fixed installation costs with se-
curity systems and CCTV net-
works reserved for those with
big budgets; now smart wireless
solutions are available, provid-
ing 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 disrup-
tion 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 from walls, floors
and ceilings causing signal
failure has previously affected
the reliability of wireless home
security, but these problems
are far less frequent. To combat
these problems, each wireless
sensor now has its own battery
back-up. The MLA recommends
regular testing and charging of
batteries to ensure the sys-
tem operates at peak perfor-
mance and not to chance a DIY
installation. Home security is
too important and should be in-
stalled and managed by trained
and licensed professionals. All
MLA members are licensed, and
vetted giving customers confi-
dence that their home security
is in safe hands.
Car Tracker
In the same way as the Find-
myPhone app or Snapchat’s
SnapMaps works to identify a
person’s location via GPS, the
MLA has seen an increase in the
use of “Connected Car” tech-
nology that tracks, monitors
and safeguards vehicles. The
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
’