The Locksmith Journal 93 February 2024 | Page 32

ACCESS CONTROL
control is a top priority for our customers . At the same time , unification has been a key 2023 trend and we ’ re increasingly seeing previously disparate systems being brought together to offer holistic and seamless security solutions .
“ These current trends and consumer demands point to this year ’ s rise of smart and integrated access control solutions . At Codelocks , our project portfolio increasingly focuses on incorporating our technology into customers ’ products . Codelocks NetCode ® Technology has been the backbone of a number of exciting and innovative integrated projects , from coworking offices to ‘ click and collect ’ lockers . It allows companies to control access by creating codes that have a specified start date , time and duration that will automatically expire at the end of the period . Plus , thanks to our Codelocks Connect Portal and application programming interface ( API ), users can simply receive a code through the same platform the booking is made on , streamlining the user experience . We ’ ll continue to see these integrated solutions take shape across multiple sectors as businesses explore shared spaces and services .
“ Finally , one last observation worth noting is that 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 handson technical knowledge from our customer support team remains one of the biggest factors distinguishing us from our competition .”

Future : Trends and Predictions

By Colin Campbell , Codelocks ’ Managing Director
“ As a Sales Director for the UK and Middle East , I ’ ve also witnessed major differences between the access control markets across regions . For example , in the UK it ’ s more common to refurbish a building and make use of traditional solutions . Here , 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 forward-thinking . 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 .
“ 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 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 coworking hubs or co-livings and increasing digitalisation means users are demanding self-service applications and automated access control . Of course , there ’ s an important commercial driver too . 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 .
3 | © 2024 Codelocks Ltd . All rights reserved . FEBRUARY 2024
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