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» » WITH LOCKSMITHING REGARDED
as a fairly traditional profession, you
might be forgiven for thinking that
smart security products are beyond the
locksmiths’ remit. However, with remote-
controlled smart operating systems
already controlling our heating, lighting
and entertainment facilities, security
is undergoing the same exciting tech
transformation.
People want more – more convenience,
more flexibility and more reassurance –
and now is the perfect time for locksmiths
to embrace the new smart security
developments, expand their portfolio of
services to offer their customers up-to-the
minute products and create healthy profit
opportunities for themselves.
WHAT ARE THE SMART
OPPORTUNITIES?
Tania Tams, head of marketing at ERA
said, “It is estimated that the smart-ware
market as a whole will be worth £307
billion worldwide by 2020, with security
an important part of that.
“As smart technology becomes
increasingly common-place in the
home and encompasses more aspects of
everyday life, the true ‘connected home’,
where all your domestic systems are
controlled by your smartphone giving
consumers unparalleled convenience,
is here to stay. It is a development that
locksmiths cannot afford to ignore.”
HOW CAN LOCKSMITHS BENEFIT?
Tania continued, “For lots of people
this is new technology and the prospect of
fitting it can be daunting for them and as
such, we find that many homeowners are
much more comfortable with someone
fitting a smart product for them instead of
doing it themselves.
“For this reason, locksmiths are ideally
placed to advise on how innovative and
convenient smartware can genuinely
benefit their customers, whilst providing
for locksmiths a fantastic opportunity to
upsell.”
WHO NEEDS SMART-WARE?
Everyone can benefit from the
previously unattainable reassurance and
convenience that smart-ware products
provide. However, there are specific
groups within society, such as the
elderly or those living with disabilities,
that might especially benefit from these
innovations.
Tania explained, “For those with older
relatives, who may be vulnerable, there
are SOS accessories available that will
trigger a smartphone in an emergency
alerting friends or family that help is
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JUL/AUG 2018
Sponsored by APECS
needed. For even more reassurance, IP
cameras can be added to the system. This
would allow a user to log on in the event
of an alert and visibly check what the
situation was, allowing action (or a big
sigh of relief ) to be taken.
“Door sensors can be added to a
system alerting customers if a door is
opened, which would be useful when
small children are around or if caring for
someone with dementia. In addition, our
brand new wifi video door bell, DoorCam
can be set so that your customer is alerted
when someone comes to the door, rather
than an elderly relative, giving added
protection and peace of mind.”
“If locksmiths think in broader terms
and focus on the benefits of smart-ware
for everyone, the profit opportunities
available to them are exceptional.”
SMART PRODUCTS THAT DELIVER
Providing the products to capitalise
on this trend, ERA’s smart-ware includes
the HomeGuard Pro alarm, a high
specification cloud-based alert and
monitoring alarm system, the first of
its kind to combine security with smart
living. Operated by a smart phone app,
HomeGuard Pro offers real time alerts, the
ability to protect multiple locations, such
as a house, office or holiday home, all
accessible literally anytime, anywhere.