It was a very good year for access control, with most reporting double-digit growth. But market forces for change are definitely in the wind, such as unification, big data, cybersecurity and so much more.
The access control market has been historically slow to change. Complicated systems, proprietary products, and large card populations have been a tempering force on an otherwise dynamic industry. Remember how for years smart cards were going to be the “next big thing”? Likewise with biometrics. But the days of top-down technology that doesn’t catch on quickly may be coming to an end.
For a hint of what may happen in the next few years, one only has to look to the security alarm market, which was stable and relatively stagnant for nearly 30 years before experiencing a revolutionary shake-up with interactive services and connected-home products, many driven by the meteoric rise of the smartphone. Could a similar shift be in store for access control? There are certainly some early signs pointing to that possibility. Technology is poised to impact all markets more and faster than ever before. And the economy is in a good — if not yet great — place to facilitate that.