The Locksmith Journal May/Jun 2021 - Issue 74 | Page 53

SECTOR INSIGHT

Technology Strand leads to Company Launch

» THREE LEADING MIDLANDS entrepreneurs - Catherine Franks , Paul Ryan and Simon Bowden - have joined together to launch Strand Technologies ; producing technology-based solutions for safety , security and control which can be used across a range of industries .
Strand Technologies spearheads a range of products which can be used to monitor and remotely control a variety of operating systems including automated pedestrian entrances , access control systems , industrial doors , gates and shutters as well as road signage and refrigeration .
Catherine Franks Managing Director , commented : “ Technology is the enabler – we are the problem-solvers .”
The business , based in Walsall has iContact among its product range ; a device which can be applied to any electro-mechanical operating system for
remote monitoring , control and diagnostic management .
By connecting the ‘ black box ’ to automatic doors , industrial gates , shutters and barriers , it uses ‘ real time ’ information to enable remote or on-site diagnostics and operations via a digital user platform .
Strand Technologies also has the Virtual Usher – a range of products to manage volume and footfall entering buildings using a traffic light management process with a user platform to control occupancy rates .
www . strandtech . co . uk

COVID-19 TO HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE HOME AUTOMATION MARKET

» THE HOME AUTOMATION market has developed at a rapid rate in recent years , a trend which has been partially accelerated by Covid-19 and the fact that people have been forced to spend more time in their homes due to lockdown measures . This in turn has encouraged more suppliers to enter the sector .
Accessibility to smart home devices has dramatically
increased , due to the ongoing growth in penetration of faster forms of broadband amongst UK households , as well as the continued rise in the number of people owning smartphones . A greater percentage of Internet users in the UK are now regularly accessing it via mobile devices .
Younger homeowners appear to be most positively
inclined towards smart homes , even though they can sometimes be constrained by income levels . Over the longer term , annual growth should return as consumer awareness and penetration of the benefits of home automation increases . Much of this future growth is likely to come from the lower end of the market , specifically from mid to basic entry level systems .
www . amaresearch . co . uk
2019 In October UAP Ltd completed the acquisition of Intelligent Hardware , which offers a wide range of door furniture , locks , latches and stylish handles .
2020 UAP Ltd acquired Locking Systems , a bespoke locking cylinders and masterkeying company that combines industryleading technology with artisanal hand-pinning . Firemongery , a specialist in fire safe hardware was also acquired in this year .
2021 Alongside 25th anniversary celebrations , UAP Ltd has increased its warehousing capacity and stockholding , established an e-commerce website and launched the Fullex Kinetica + K4 ; one of the most secure 3 * cylinder locks ever produced .
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