Strong electronic access control (EAC) investments by the healthcare and education verticals were a highlight of a very strong 2015 for Allegion. The company saw double-digit growth in multiple categories for its electronics as well as continued strong growth in commercial markets, with further expansion of software provider integration of Allegion-connected devices.

Mobile connectivity & system integration nurture positive trends

Demand for mobile connectivity and integration of multiple building services in both commercial and residential spaces have fostered the positive trends. Customers increasingly expect similar types of experiences where they live, learn and work. We are also seeing increased transition to electronic credentials as a result of increased awareness of credential options and tangible improvements in operating efficiency. The development of these two trends will ideally lead to increased discussion about the importance of industry standards to enable greater value and adoption of EAC solutions.

IoT for better EAC management

Looking ahead to 2016, we expect the market to further accelerate the adoption of secure Internet of Things or IoT devices, driven by their ability to deploy and manage EAC solutions with new levels of efficiency. Business models will continue to expand beyond the historical scope of physical security and the value of service providers to end users will also continue to grow as they expand their ability to manage and deliver actionable data collected from interconnected ecosystems.

We also see increasing opportunities to collaborate with Software and Service providers on expanding the value of existing and new PAC systems. This will be achieved by providing end users with clear financial value to electrify access points further into the building beyond traditional security applications.

Driving efficiency through system interoperability

This is a great time to be in the security market as technology is enabling the deployment of electronics within a building’s ecosystem of services, from physical access control and logical access, to lighting and HVAC systems. This is further driving the interoperability of these previously disparate systems to enable services such as location-based decision making that will provide a new level of value to channel partners and end users in the coming years.

As always, those who are successful in internalising these advancements in technology and standards to expand the value they provide their customers will be the clear winners in 2016 and beyond.

See the full coverage of 2015/2016 Review and Forecast articles here