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The thoughtful home
Internet guru Joakim Jardenberg has been helping to facilitate ASSA ABLOY’s digital transformation since 2016. He hopes that the next step will be “turning …
Helping emergency services respond quicker
Remote access delegation to buildings could transform the way emergency services operate around the world. Recently, ASSA ABLOY ran a pilot project together …
Wireless locks extend the reach of access control
As building security becomes smarter, the need for electronic access control grows. Wired access points and security doors have long been the backbone. …
Developing energy harvesting products
For the last few years ASSA ABLOY has been developing energy harvesting technology to enable its products to be operated from external energy sources. …
Can phones challenge the resilient plastic card?
Mobile access control will increasingly keep pace with modern mobile working, says Thomas Schulz, Director Marketing and Communications, Digital and Access …
Wireless Access Control in 2018
The market for access control is changing. But how? How fast? And what factors will affect your business between now and 2025? A new report by IFSEC Global, …
Taking event ticketing into the mobile world
Ticketing for events such as football matches and exhibitions is set for a dramatic leap into the digital realm of smartphones, thanks to an innovation …
Podcast: Unlocking the Security of Security
On this final episode of Unlocked, three campus security experts share how to keep your physical security devices secure, and why it’s just as important …
Podcast: Unlocking smart cards
Whether you call them credentials, badges, or ID cards, the world of access card technology can be a confusing one. Learn about the misconceptions and …
Podcast: Yale smart lock solution for Amazon Key
ASSA ABLOY Group company, Yale Locks & Hardware recently announced that it has teamed up with Amazon on a new service exclusively for Prime members …
Deliveries on your doormat – even if you’re out
In Sweden, a new smart door lock from ASSA ABLOY is making the “While you were out...” delivery card a thing of the past. PostNord customers can now …
Podcast: Unlocking Video Surveillance
Security cameras are smarter than ever before. The move from analog to IP-based digital video surveillance has allowed cameras to go from a documentary …
Science fiction soon to be (augmented) reality
Smart glasses with built-in night-vision, biometric scanning and even X-ray vision. It might sound like science fiction and even though some of these features …
Augmented reality in physical security
Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology, but physical security experts are already anticipating how it will impact the industry. Unlike virtual …
Digital identities in your everyday life
Trusted identities will soon move from simply an add-on feature to become embedded in applications used in daily routines for both consumers and professional …
Podcast: How safe is biometrics?
Biometrics is taking off in a big way in consumer electronics, especially in smartphones. But how safe is the technology? Should we use biometrics for …
Internet of Trusted Things (IoTT)
As a growing range of industry segments are embracing the power of IoT, the need for trusted identities will increase. This will be decisive for real-time …
Thriving in a disruptive world
A leading digital expert says that with the rise of new digital markets and the ever increasing presence of the network, companies need to transform in …
Podcast: Unlocking Physical Security Costs
In Episode 2 of the new podcast 'Unlocked', we take you on the journey of an IT Director at a small college as he navigates through the sometimes choppy …
Greater emphasis on the cloud for digital IDs
HID Global continue predicting trends for Identity in 2017. Next up is a greater emphasis on the cloud. By combining on-premises and the cloud, "hybrid …
Podcast: Unlocking Campus Lockdown
Active shooter emergencies are a reality on today's campuses. On this first episode of the podcast series 'Unlocked', we take a look at what can go wrong …
Trusted identities for mobile devices and smart cards
HID Global has presented their list of top trends for 2017. They forecast a shift in the use of identity technology that will lead to increased adoption …
The Access Control Report 2016
This report from IFSEC Global and sponsored by access control innovators HID Global, is a white paper with two distinct components. Firstly, what kind …Member only
Report: Access Control 2016
Welcome to the Access Control Report 2016: Legacy Infrastructure and Motivations for Upgrading. This report by IFSEC Global and sponsored by access control …
Generation Z and the next wave
Generation Z. iGeneration. Screenagers. The generation born between 1995 and 2009 goes by many monikers. But, whatever you call them, these young people …
Computers doing the thinking
How intelligent is Artificial Intelligence? Is it so intelligent that we can rely on it? How much can it help us and where are its limits? Many applications …
Security in the sharing economy
Five years ago, Time Magazine cited collaborative consumption, better known today as the sharing economy, as one of 10 ideas that would change the world. …
Students impress with innovative designs
A futuristic smart lock system resembling an animated robot character has been voted the most innovative design in a competition held for industrial design …
Regulating the rise in drones
Camera-equipped drones have taken to the skies like never before and regulatory bodies are taking notice. Yet recent regulations in Sweden citing privacy …
Trends in smart door locks
What’s trending in the world of smart door locks? A new study identifies consumer demands for 2016 and beyond. A co-published report from IFSECGlobal …Member only
Report: Smart-Home Security in 2016
This report reveals answers to key questions about the growing market for smart locks. What do consumers think a digital door lock should do? How do they …
Mobile IDs will change your interaction with governments
Once only a futuristic concept, mobile IDs have arrived and will fundamentally change the way governments and citizens interact. A mobile ID is a government-issued …
Listening to the Voice of the Customer
How can you understand customer needs and increase benefits of new products? ASSA ABLOY is using Voice of Customer (VoC) exercises to do just that. Customer …
The transition to wireless access control
Wireless locks remain one of the fastest growing segments of the electronic access control industry, especially in mature countries. But how many commercial …
Changing how you work, shop and play
The industry will enter its next new chapter of connected identities, employing multi-layered security strategies that also include biometrics in order …
Wireless Access Control in 2016
Given the critical advantages wireless technology has over both mechanical locks and wired access control, we would expect to find the market moving steadily …Member only
Report: The wireless access control market in 2016
This report examines issues around wireless systems – including training requirements, from where wireless systems are sourced and wired versus wireless …
Security will focus more on the user experience
Focusing security solutions more on user experience will help close the gap between planning and compliance, while ensuring that security adapts to rather …
Tracking for security and safety
Ever tried using GPS indoors? You probably noticed that it's not very effective. Real-time tracking of personnel, vehicles, or assets indoors in high-risk …
Mobilizing security for a better user experience
HID Global is watching five key developing trends that will shape the secure identity landscape in the new year. One of the top developments we are seeing …
The future of indoor positioning
Whether the goal is simply to aid shoppers in a mall or prevent accidents in warehouses, the solution is increasingly spelled IPS, as in Indoor Positioning …
Top secure identity trends for 2016
HID Global has released their list of security trends to watch during 2016. Among the key developments you will find the growing demand for a more mobile-centric …
The holy grail of wearable technology
What can we expect next in the world of wearable technology? What is the next logical step after smart watches? We have looked into smart textiles, skin …
Open and integrated security
The most important technology shift in the coming five years will be the increasing demand for integral security management systems with open IT standards. …
Shift on the wearable horizon
From smart watches and smart jewelry to Fitbits and Jawbones, wearable technology is becoming ubiquitous in today’s world. But wearables are evolving …
Accelerating access control and inventory tracking
Businesses today are demanding new access control and inventory tracking solutions to improve security, enhance convenience and increase efficiency. When …
Reducing mobile security risks
Mobility may be a fact of life in just about all enterprises, but that doesn’t mean IT organizations aren’t concerned about its impact on security …
Why gadgets have never been closer at hand
The future is here, and getting personal. With technology seemingly advancing at the speed of light, it may only be a matter of time before much more advanced …
Enhancing the user’s door experience
ASSA ABLOY asked students at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology to put their imaginations to work to enhance the user experience in a door. …
The locksmith of tomorrow
Once upon a time, if you wanted a lock, you went to a locksmith. That's no longer true – you might go to a home improvement store, or the Internet, or …
Developing mobile access for hotels
We recently posted and article about how products are developed at ASSA ABLOY's shared global innovation organization, Shared Technologies. We continue …
What’s happening in the Cloud?
Cloud computing has changed the way the physical security industry works. And the evolution is far from over, according to experts. The cloud is what delivers …Member only
Post The Wireless Access Control Market in 2014
The market for wireless access control remains embryonic. Just 6% of businesses have a fully wireless system, according to an IFSEC Global survey of businesses …Member only
The Wireless Access Control Market in 2014
The market for wireless access control remains embryonic. Just 6% of businesses have a fully wireless system, according to an IFSEC Global survey of businesses …
Busting the myths around wireless access control
EXPERT OPINION. Let’s begin with something that’s hardly front-page news: the market potential for wireless access control is huge. At January’s …
Healthy ecosystems support diversity
We have reached the third and final part in the Future Lab article series about security ecosystems. This time we investigate important qualities that …
Bringing new products to life
ASSA ABLOY Shared Technologies develop platform technologies to be integrated in ASSA ABLOY group company products. Thinking outside the box is encouraged …
The symbiosis of digital and physical security
The challenge of modern security reminds one of the 1955 Stargazers hit, "Close the door – they're coming through the window": as soon as you've stopped …
Protecting your assets – personal data
As consumers are beginning to adopt wearable technology, new issues arise. One issue is privacy. How do you deal with all the personal data that wristbands …
Top secure identity trends for 2015
What are the most important trends to keep track of during this year? HID Global has issued its outlook on technology trends for 2015, as well as other …
Big Data in physical security
In our previous article about Big Data we learned that retail giants like Amazon use Big Data to analyze purchases and boost sales. But how is Big Data …
Wearables in access control
Wearable technology is on the verge of turning mainstream and the consumer electronics industry has convinced itself that wearable technology will be the …Member only
Physical Security for Today’s Data Centers
Data center managers, faced with an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, need to rely on the latest technology and the industry’s best practices …Member only
Wearables for security: potential or peril?
Can the security industry unlock the potential of wearable technology and improve quality of life – or do the associated problems outweigh the benefits?Member only
Q&A: Security in Asia
Securitas is a global leader in security, offering specialized guarding, technology solutions, consulting and investigation services. In Thailand, Securitas …
Keeping 007 secure
It’s been 50 years since the first Bond film was launched in 1962 and the gadgets from the popular series have gotten increasingly sophisticated. …
Smart energy savers
Growing climate change concerns and constantly rising energy prices are increasing demand for environmental solutions in the home – from the simple …
Home safe home
Increased integration, more software, and remote monitoring are just a few of the growing trends in home security. Yet some industry players suggest a …
Beyond your current key
The key to home doesn’t have to be a key. Fobs, fingerprints and phones can all do the same job. There are plenty of options available on the market …
Safe for – and from the public
Achieving adequate levels of security in public facilities often means treading a fine line between granting taxpaying citizens their constitutional right …
Olympic Games: A catalyst for change
The tension is mounting as London gears up for the 2012 Olympic Games. Heightened security measures are triggering debate, as well as encouraging innovative …
Stadiums keep track for better control
Technology is helping improve safety and security at football stadiums and could help consign the crowd disasters of the past to history.
Balancing act for museum security
Public facilities such as museums and libraries have the complex task of being open and accessible to the public while at the same time protecting priceless …
Solutions boost sales and security
In retail, as in other fields, safety and security concerns sometimes conflict with marketing and sales. New solutions in video analytics and store design, …
The greening of retailers
Environmental awareness and energy savings have become a priority for many retailers, who are starting to rethink such things as an open-door policy.
Giving – and getting retail service
Whether it’s a security system or an entrance system, retailers cannot afford downtime. Various services are popping up to ensure that doors, locks …
Theft tops list of retailer challenges
Retail losses from theft – both internal and external – are staggering. Protecting goods must be a top priority for retailers, according to …
Taking the pulse on hotel security
What would be an ideal security wish list for a hotel? Security experts share their experience and insights with the Future Lab.
Sharing the holiday investment
An appealing blend between staying in a hotel and owning your own home, timeshare holidays are growing in demand. How do they handle security challenges?
Systems enhance guest experience
Hotels are following the “smart home” trend by increasingly integrating their access systems with other functions such as lighting and temperature …
Airport security grows up
New technologies such as Advanced Imaging Technology and video analytics could help make long lines at airport security checkpoints a thing of the past.
Shipping cargo safely
Human beings are the weakest link in supply chain security, but solutions using RFID and GPS offer interesting options for the future.
Security on track
Railway stations, tracks and yards are coming under increasing scrutiny as security needs are elevated in the transportation sector.
Schools combat cheating
The Internet, wireless communication and mobile phone cameras have put cheating within clicking distance for students. Schools are responding with increasingly …
Smartphones open campus doors
Mobile phones are second nature to today’s students which is why security and NFC mobile phone applications are making their way to campuses worldwide.
Not without my magstripe card
Magnetic stripe cards have been popular on campuses for years and their appeal shows little sign of waning. But external factors may be providing the impetus …
Utilities Cyber Threat Legislation on the Rise
Operational systems like SCADA and DCS [1] that control plants, refineries of all sorts and the flow of electricity in power grids, are now interconnected …
Ins and outs of utility access
There are many ways to manage access rights in an industrial facility like a power plant or a water utility. Electro-mechanical locking solutions are among …
Hospitals keep disease at bay
One of Canada’s largest hospitals has taken effective measures to prevent the spread of contamination and ensure secure access to pharmaceuticals.
Hospital friendly design
Hospital design is evolving along with advances in technology, safety and security.
NFC waiting for Apple?
VISA runs shopping trials using iPhones and rumors circulate about NFC capability in the next version of Apple’s iPhone.
Location based tracker
Location based technology offers a variety of convenient services to consumers based on their location. It can also be used to track the exact location …
Kinect brings biometrics home
Xbox’s new Kinect device, which uses facial recognition and infrared sensors, offers a novel way to log onto a game. It could become the catalyst …
Sensor applications expand
Intelligent sensors are being used in a growing variety of applications, to control and monitor everything from indoor temperature to machinery, access …
Security Essen – Security on display
The Security Essen trade fair has been going strong for 19 years. The 2010 event, held from October 5-8, was the most international one so far.
Future security trends – Gazing into the security future
Most locks are still opened with an old-fashioned key, but the race is on to replace them. To do so, the industry needs a good understanding of what the …
Identity control online
As technology improves, establishing who’s who, especially online and through non-traditional identification methods, is becoming increasingly difficult.
Service-minded business models
As the business environment changes, so do the solutions being offered by the security industry. More service-oriented business models, such as hosting, …
Instant credentials
Mobile phones have steadily offered users more tools and benefits than simply making and receiving calls. Today, our phones serve as calendars, cameras, …
Support for video unity
ONVIF, the Open Network Video Interface Forum, is establishing standards for IP-based video systems. It is one of two new organizations aimed at unifying …
PKI opens more doors
Traditionally associated with logical access and the digital signing of documents, PKI is now also being used to control physical access.
Communicating cameras
The global market for CCTV has grown enormously with digitalization and video over IP paving the way for improved surveillance systems. So how are camera …
Video analytics enhances security picture
Video analytics can tell whether someone is moving too fast in a flow of people, identify an abandoned package or a person loitering. Soon, it will be …
Coalition for seamless integration
A standard set of protocols is making seamless video and access interoperability possible.
NFC ready – or not
Are contactless microSD cards poised to displace NFC phones? Or are they only an interim technology?
Guard Duty
As security technology has evolved, so too, has the role of the security guard. And, while they were once thought of as the lone night watchman, today’s …
Sniffing out a suspect
Imagine a scene where investigators approach a suspicious person waiting in line to board a trans-Atlantic flight. He is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, oversized …
Perfect your password
Too many people are disregarding the security risks of using simple passwords online. But, in trying to avoid the hassle of creating strong passwords, …
Eye on you
The eyes have it. The use of iris recognition technology is expanding around the globe and it is being utilized in a vast array of commercial and government …
Encryption basics
If you work with any kind of private data, it is good to acquaint yourself with encryption and a growing number of requirements to protect sensitive data.
Where did your data go?
A civilian employee of a police department disables warehouse security cameras and steals backup tapes putting identity numbers and the direct-deposit …
Body field communication
Can you imagine locking or unlocking a door simply by touching the doorknob? Or being able print a document by placing one hand on the copy machine and …
Ironing out the NFC wrinkles
Near Field Communication (NFC) could soon become a part of most people's lives, but it's not there yet. Although Peter Preuss, Chairman of the NFC Forum …
Protecting the privacy of others
With every action you take in our wired world, whether making an Internet purchase or posting a blog, you leave a digital footprint, a record of who you …
Access control and video surveillance unite
While access control and alarm systems have been common features with most companies for a long time, video surveillance has often proved too costly to …
Unleash the power
New technologies have emerged that can power up security systems without wires or batteries. Solar, wireless power transmission and energy harvesting solutions …
Extending ethernet capabilities
Hailed as a watershed innovation when first standardized in 2003, Power over Ethernet (PoE) offers a way of supplying electricity to network devices over …
Anything to declare?
The main impulse for e-passports is security. As the British passport authority says on its website: “The increasing threat of identity fraud means …
A familiar voice
With all types of biometric applications on the rise, voice-based authentication is one approach that seems to engender less resistance among users than …
Watch your (digital) step!
Maybe you cover your PIN number when you enter it into an ATM. Perhaps you change and strengthen your computer passwords often. You may even refrain from …
Fraud fighters
Seven percent of GDP was lost to fraud in 2008, according to the US Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. That's $994 billion a year. But new technology …
Never forget a face
In early 2008, the media picked up on research results coming from Glasgow University that had huge implications for controlling access in all sorts of …
No limits for intelligent readers
Card readers were once highly proprietary and difficult to install, and they mainly served the single purpose of granting access to a building or a section …
Bridging two worlds
Previously, the physical and virtual worlds couldn’t be further apart when it came to security. You entered a building using a physical token like …
Opening the green door
Ever since the first cave man came up with the idea of shielding the family dwelling by hanging a fur rug in front of the cave’s opening, doors have …
Get the Edge
Intelligent access control has been around for some time – but traditionally, the brains of the operation were actually hidden in a mechanical room, …
Open, Sesame!
Unless you live in a remote rural area, hardly a day goes by without using an automatic door. From retail outlets to train stations, airports and care …
Closing time
On the surface, the mechanics of door closers seem pretty straightforward. “A door closer makes sure your door…closes,” explains …
Quick Escape
The main purpose of locks and door closures is to keep people either in or out (otherwise every door could be like the flaps in the old Western saloons), …
Smart card flexibility
With so many smart card options on the market, manufacturers are constantly exploring new card design and composition in order to give customers a broad …
Aperio is a reality
As a member of ASSA ABLOY’s Future Lab, you were invited to participate in developing a new technology for wireless access control. Thanks to your …
Korea’s digital revolution
"At the third stroke, it will be ten past four pm and ten seconds. Beep, beep, beep. At the third stroke . . ." That's what the British call the speaking …
Moving towards open systems
In March, The Security Industry Association (SIA) released an American National Standard. This voluntary standard specifies interface requirements for …
The smartest lock in town
A new intelligent, wireless lock is set to make extending access control quick, painless and affordable. ASSA ABLOY’s new WiFi lock, the Sargent …
Weighing the hacking risks
It’s a story that seems worthy of front-page headlines: A hacker exposes a major flaw in the protocol that underlies many of the world’s access …
Hands-on access
A recent survey of passengers on Scandinavian Airlines, SAS, showed that fingerprint identification has become widely accepted. Over 70% of Swedish respondents …
The human touch
Jamie and Adam have been at it again. In an episode of MythBusters on the National Geographic Channel, the two technically talented skeptical program …
Concept test results available now!
In November 2007, we performed an online survey at the ASSA ABLOY Future Lab and got a very good response from our industry. Since then, the feedback from …
Alliances frail but worthwhile
There are three ways to generate growth in a company: organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, and alliances. But beware – partnering is harder …
Recognizing the e-cylinder advantages
Why does Germany like the e-cylinder so much? And what is it about the e-cylinder that makes it a good choice for Germany and other countries?
Separate worlds come together
A combination of security and IT knowledge will be crucial for succeeding in tomorrow’s security market. A recent study identifies some pitfalls …
LUSAX anticipates security future
Are deadbolts dying out? Will keys soon be a thing of the past? What do end users want – and will security companies rise to their needs in time? …Member only
New concept test – integrated wireless access control
At the ASSA ABLOY Future Lab you provide input on future solutions via online concept tests. The information you give us is thoroughly analyzed and included …
Take the money and run
One would think that with all kinds of e-wallets and other electronic payment methods and devices, cash in transit would have already gone the way of the …
Sealing information leaks
Once upon a time, there were investment banks, retail banks, stockbrokers and various other specialized financial service providers, and they all did their …
Banking on biometrics
Most people tend to envision cutting-edge technologies first being used in major urban centers. However, rural areas are increasingly finding that miniaturized, …
NFC: Short range, long potential
Near Field Communication users must typically touch one device to another to make a connection. “Touch” applications are not only convenient …
Taking NFC outside the box
Innovative new applications in Near Field Communication (NFC) were celebrated at the first European NFC competition, showing that anything is possible …
Suitably safe with NFC
The NFC Forum, which oversees the development of Near Field Communication technology, has set up a Security Technical Working Group. Its job is to find …
It’s a Phone; It’s a Wallet; It’s NFC
Touching your phone to a sensor to make a purchase is one of the most compelling NFC applications – and it’s also one of the most complex. …
Check-in phone
Long queues after a tiring day on the road is an unwelcome sight for any traveler, but a new electronic-locking solution, which communicates with cell …
The Future of Airport Security
Security at airports has always been tough. But the terrorist attack on New York, showed that it was not tough enough. The airports employ various security …
Open Standards Development for the Security Industry
As the access control industry becomes more and more “IT-centric” the push for devices that can simply plug-in to an existing network is growing. …
Simplifying Business with Open Standards
Axis Communications has been making network cameras using the Internet Protocol (IP) for nine years, and, according to Johan Lembre, Vice-President, Product …
One Cable Does it All
The new Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology lets networked devices like surveillance cameras and other security equipment receive power and communication …
Comments to Coopetition Arrives
This article comes from a magazine read by Security Directors and the author makes the case for, and urges the readers to demand, interoperability among …
The Value and Importance of Open and Interoperable Access Control Products
Historically, access control systems have been anything but open. Early electronic access control systems were custom-built by independent entrepreneurs. …
World Bank report – Roadmap for Open IT Ecosystems
The World Bank has published a report intended to promote the use of open standards in the IT systems of large corporations and governments. The report, …
Biometrics and Identity Management
Your fingerprints, your iris, even the shape of your ear are unique and can be used to identify you. But beyond their unique properties, they contain no …
Pros and Cons of Biometrics
The field of biometrics is a polarizing and controversial topic, with multiple voices debating the advantages and merits of the technology. Many of the …
Carjackers Take Man’s Fingertip
Biometric identification offers a powerful way to recognize you as being you. Just present your finger, face, or other recognizable feature to enter a …
Prison Pulls Plug on Fingerprint Lock
Biometric systems are entering the mainstream of security and access control as the technology improves and system costs come down. All security applications …