The Locksmith Journal Jul/Aug 2020 - Issue 69 | Page 29

ACCESS CONTROL 4. See mobile devices as essential access points of your infrastructure On the cusp of 5G networks, we need to change the way we perceive our mobile phones. We have to stop seeing our phones merely as toys or even tools. Instead, we need to view them as important extensions of whole infrastructures. After all, the phone is actually a wireless network access point, a router that practically everybody is carrying around. Phones should be seen as an essential part of the network. That’s what 5G is all about: mobile connectivity. In this development modern mobile locking solutions, like our new BEAT, are highly relevant. 5. Meeting every need – be it security or safety Let’s also not forget that locking solutions are not only for the security against unwanted visitors, but also for the health and safety of people. Power substations, for example, pose a danger of electric shocks. With proper access control you can avoid that uncertified staff or subcontractors end up in wrong places where they could get hurt. And as said earlier, it’s also wise trying to foresee potential future needs, for example any health measures to prevent disease infections in time to come. 6. In mature markets: meet the standards and avoid fines In the United Kingdom, utilities are the oldest critical infrastructure sector Abloy has been serving. Electricity North West, Northumbrian Water, South Staffs Water and Welsh Water are only a few examples of utility companies we are securing. Here, where the security market in utilities has grown mature, physical security and meeting all standards are the top priorities that our customers consider when they invest in new access solutions. Regulators, such as Ofgem and Ofwat, and standardisation bodies heavily regulate and monitor the utility operators in the market – especially in energy and water. Failure to comply with the regulations may result in substantial fines. 7. In less regulated markets: specifications are key Whereas physical security and standards are priorities in mature markets like the UK, our utility customers in Latin America primarily want their access solutions to be flexible and easy to use, and key management to be uncomplex. The utilities market here is not that heavily regulated, in terms of security. Instead, technical specifications are the most important factors. That’s why we work very closely with our customers so that the solution we provide will meet their specific security needs. Argentina, for instance, is geographically enormous. To deliver a physical key from the head office of a utility company in, let’s say, Buenos Aires to some peripheral site in the southernmost Patagonia is by no means fast or cheap. With fully digital keys that you use with a mobile app, like our new BEAT solution, you avoid these challenges. We at Abloy are carefully listening to our customers’ ever-changing requirements. The needs listed here above are features that we consequently have taken into account in the keyless ABLOY BEAT solution and all other options in our digital portfolio, including electromechanical (PROTEC2 CLIQ) and mechanical (ABLOY® PROTEC2) solutions. www.abloy.co.uk JUL/AUG 2020 29 Magazine Sponsor Issue Takeover locksmithjournal.co.uk