Notice Board
“ As a Sales Director for the UK and Middle East , I ’ ve also witnessed major differences between the access control markets across regions . We regularly work with customers on retrofit and refurb projects to offer a smart solution that is compatible with quite traditional applications .
In comparison , in Saudi Arabia , it ’ s much more likely a building would be knocked down and rebuilt from scratch . As a result , the technology we ’ re seeing there is more advanced and forwardthinking .
In September , I attended Saudi Arabia ’ s Hotel & Hospitality Expo and was repeatedly asked for biometric solutions for locker applications , which we don ’ t seem to have demand for in the UK right now .
“ Finally , despite increasing digitalisation in other aspects of the access control market , our customers still desire human expertise and support when reaching out for help . The aftercare and hands-on technical knowledge from our customer support team remains one of the biggest factors distinguishing us from our competition .”
Future : Trends and Predictions – Colin Campbell , Codelocks ’ Managing Director
“ The access control market is growing , set to be worth $ 12.1 billion by 2024 and the technology is developing at a rapid pace . One of the biggest trends shaping access control moving forward is the growing market of niche rental spaces . The rental market has continued its growth , post pandemic , with all manner of services and collections being offered via lockers , rooms or whole buildings for a short or temporary period of time .
“ This trend is being a driven by a number of factors . As Jo highlights , changing behaviours have led to the rise of shared spaces like co-working hubs or co-livings and increasing digitalisation means users are demanding self-service applications and automated access control .
“ Businesses are interested in how they can manipulate spaces to offer a service and rent it out time and time again to generate repeat revenue . Increasingly , in the niche rental market , we see subscription-based payment models where users will pay a rental fee per month to access a specific service . For example , one of our customers offers bike storage spaces in urban areas , accessed via a monthly subscription on their app .
“ At Codelocks , we ’ re increasingly receiving inquiries from businesses who have an idea for a project about how they can lease a space , but they ’ re not quite sure how to manage the access control . This is where we come in to deliver a smart , integrated and bespoke access control solution .
“ The development of new cloudbased technology and API solutions is at the heart of enabling this sort of smart access control to work successfully . Moving forward , the industry is investing , innovating and developing its solutions to address this market . For example , at Codelocks , we are exploring the longevity of battery life to last the lifespan of the product , reducing battery changes and associated waste . In the future , I think we ’ ll see serious innovations in how we can power electronic access control systems , from ambient light technologies to harvesting energy from buildings to run smart locks more sustainably .
“ Like every industry , the access control sector is grappling with its carbon emissions , net zero targets and putting effective strategies in place to minimise its environmental impact . In the UK , there ’ s particularly stringent legislation in place , which will influence how the access control sector evolves moving forward . This will impact everything from communications around sustainability , to life-cycle product assessments and product packaging .
“ Codelocks has already made the first steps to address our sustainability such as reducing product and transit packaging and installing electric vehicle chargers at our UK site . However , there ’ s much more we have yet to do . This year , we hired Paul Campbell as Technical , Quality and Sustainability Manager , to focus on identifying areas for improvement and putting an aggressive plan in place to meet net zero targets .
“ In a similar vein , the rise of circular economy will influence the access control sector and vice versa . Firstly , as mentioned , access control solutions are fundamental to facilitating the creation of shared spaces , like coworking offices and shared sport facilities . Secondly , as customers embrace more sustainable practices , I think we ’ ll see a shift in consumer behaviours countering the throwaway mentality that has prevailed in the last decade . This is a past behaviour that is resurfacing . For example , historically you took shoes to the cobblers to have the soles and heels replaced , rather than buy new . Likewise , to avoid waste , customers will opt for quality access control products that stand the test of time rather than cheaper solutions with a short lifespan . For the vast majority of our products we stock every component part , we offer a full repair service in house , along with comprehensive training modules to extend the life of the product , rather than replace it .
“ Overall , technological innovation , societal shifts , evolving security needs and the growing importance of sustainability will continue to influence where the industry is heading . Smart access control solutions will play a key role in facilitating increasingly bespoke , integrated and personalised access control , equipped for the modern lifestyle .”
www . codelocks . co . uk
DECEMBER 2023
13 locksmithjournal . co . uk