In 2014 alone, IHS estimates a growth of about 7.4 percent for the global access control market, including electronic locks (mechatronic, digital cylinder, and electromechanical).
The many benefits of wireless locks are becoming more apparent as electronic access control continues to gain popularity. Without extra wires and cables, wireless locks can provide many different verticals with an electronic access solution that is not only more cost-effective, but allows for more flexibility as it is easier to implement and manage.
"7.4% estimated growth for global access control in 2014" ---Source: IHS
In 2014 alone, IHS estimates a growth of about 7.4 percent for the global access control market, including electronic locks (mechatronic, digital cylinder, and electromechanical). The rise in electronic access control adoption is paving the way for wireless access devices like wireless locks to come into play. Whereas electronic access control systems still require expensive cabling and wiring, wireless solutions provide a less price-inhibiting solution for prospective users. Without the need for extra or new cablin+g or wiring, wireless devices such as wireless locks are making electronic access control possible for those looking for a more efficient, convenient, and cost-friendly solution.
Type s of Wireless Locks
While there are several ways to differentiate between different types of wireless locks, one way is by how they communicate to the controlling software, according to Daniel Stewart, Product Integration Manager at Stanley Security, a division of Stanley Black & Decker. Naming three of the “key varieties” in the current market, Stewart noted that each standard has positive aspects and drawbacks. Ultimately, “The decision a user usually needs to make is one of convenience versus control.” Aside from communication standards, wireless locks can also be categorized by physical make-up. For example, for commercial use there are electronic cylinders, escutcheons, handles, and locks paired with RFID readers. They can also be customized with different credential readers including keypads, magnetic stripes, or multi-technology that can read both proximity and smart technology, explained Karen Keating, Portfolio Marketing Manager of Electronic Access Control at Allegion. “Wireless locks can combine all the hardware components required for a complete access control system into one integrated design that includes the electrified lock, credential reader, request-to-enter and -exit sensors, door positions switch, and more.” This type of integrated design can save both time and money when installing a system.
Who's Going Wireless?
The earliest adopters of wireless access products have been the higher education and healthcare markets. Both of these verticals have benefited immensely from wireless systems as both have thousands of doors that need to be secured without breaking the bank. Keating pointed out that wireless solutions solve many installation restrictions in healthcare, education, and historic buildings, which include limitations on where drilling and laying wire can happen. Aside from healthcare and education, Keating added, “Whatever the industry, wireless is becoming the prescription for getting more doors covered and extending the present access control system, especially when the facility requires something that is not too invasive and can be easily installed.” Chris Bone, VP of Access Control Solutions for EMEA at ASSA ABLOY, noted that “Large commercial applications of wireless access technologies are ideally suited to any premises that, firstly, have lots of keys and, secondly, have a wired access control system already in place.”
Why Go Wireless?
One of the biggest positives of wireless access control is that it is very affordable to install, according to Bone. Not only is it affordable to install but affordable to run, especially when compared to wired solutions. “Wireless locks are battery operated and only ‘wake up' when prompted by digital credential. Wired doors need to be permanently connected to main power and that makes them expensive,” added Bone. “Wireless access saves you money, and that, I think, is a major reason why demand is growing in every vertical.”
Not only can wireless locks save money, they can also save electricity. As pointed out, wireless locks are battery-operated devices. This, according to Stewart, reduces the electrical load that a building will be pulling to support the access control system. “Some end users have utilized wireless locks to fall in line with green initiatives that they have for their building structures.” This makes wireless locks a great solution for commercial buildings looking for energy savings and better energy efficiency. Savings from wireless solutions also allows integrators to help facility professionals extend the reach of their card-based systems at a cost that used to include extra materials and increased labor, stated Keating. “Wireless helps migrate the present access control system so that it can be used for more doors as well as mobile mustering, remote areas, gates, elevators, and other unique applications that have been heretofore impracticable to install or too expensive.”
Wireless Hurdles
Easier to install and more cost-efficient make installing wireless locks sound like a no-brainer; however, this is not the case. “The recent progress in microelectronics has enabled wireless technology adoption at a reasonable cost for lock manufacturers, but, still, there are debates about standards and interoperability of systems which causes most customers to refrain from making a decision,” said Rocco Vitali, Product Manager of Electronic Products at ISEO.
In addition to interoperability concerns, security remains a top reason for user uneasiness. In reaction to these concerns, Christoph Karl, Product Manager at EVVA, assured that providing high security access solutions is his company's top concern. “Thus we are only relying on high security encryption standards such as MIFARE DESFire EV1, HTTPS connections, end-to-end encryption, and high security smart cards.” Karl also stressed the need for potential users to “look behind the facade and find out about the security features” of wireless locks, as users are “quickly drawn by the looks of a product but that does not tell whether the lock will fend off illegal opening attacks.”
Misunderstandings, according to Stewart, such as the realization that wireless locks are not a real-time access control device, are also an obstacle. “Every wireless device is ‘offline' with its controller at some point,” he explained. “If it is not, the batteries used to power them would expire in days instead of months.” As a result, control of products and updates sent to them is dependent on when they communicate back to get this information. For this reason, wireless access devices are not suitable for perimeter security.
Future of Wireless Locks
Growth for wireless locks has been in the double digits, according to Keating. Regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and APAC are among those seeing a particular rise in demand. IHS attributes this to the need for “low-cost products that are valuable” in lower-end/underdeveloped markets. Although wireless locks are making a play for the security industry, they will, however, not be taking over mechanical locks any time soon. According to IHS, “Despite the growing popularity of access control systems driving the adoption of electronic locking devices, mechanical locks are not projected to falter any time soon.” Regardless, the many benefits of wireless locks make them a desirable choice in certain verticals and environments, such as higher education and healthcare. However, as wireless technologies mature, adoption by more verticals will continue. Additionally, the flexibility and adaptability of wireless locks will continue to drive growth, leading to a wider variety of wireless locks in the future.
Three Key Communication Standards for Wireless Locks
Daniel Stewart, Product Integration Manager at Stanley Security, a division of Stanley Black & Decker, outlined the three key communication standards most commonly used in today's wireless locks.
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi locks utilize a user's existing wireless network installation to communicate with the controlling software. Deployment of Wi-Fi locks is easy for a user to do because there is very little infrastructure that would need to be added. The majority of users today have an existing Wi-Fi network with ample coverage of their buildings. Deploying Wi-Fi locks then allows the user to simply install the locks and connect them to the network. The downside to Wi-Fi locks is that it is a very power hungry protocol. This limits the frequency that the locks can communicate to the controlling software down to only a few times a day, in order to be able to maintain a reasonable battery life.
900 MHz: 900 MHz locks utilize a frequency outside of the majority of wireless devices today in order to maintain clear communication with the devices. In a typical 900 MHz configuration, the wireless lock communicates to a receiver that will translate the signals from the lock and output them to the control panels for the access system that communicate back to the software. The frequency wave and power behind a 900 MHz signal allow for long and more thorough penetration through a user's building, helping to maximize their investment by reducing the number of receivers that are needed. The downside here is the infrastructure that needs to be added to a facility to support the installation of these products. Wires need to be run between the receiver and the access control panels to facilitate their communication.
Zigbee (802.15.4): This is a low-power wireless protocol that utilizes the same frequency range as Wi-Fi. This protocol allows for channel selection outside of the standard Wi-Fi channels, though, to facilitate interoperability with the existing Wi-Fi devices — for example wireless computer networks — that a user may have in place. The protocol's low-power consumption allows these locks to communicate more often, as frequently as every minute, and maintain a reasonable battery life. The typical installation requires a receiver that will connect to a user's Ethernet network to communicate back to a controlling software. Range from the receiver to the wireless lock is comparable to the range that a user would have with a Wi-Fi lock from a wireless access point. The downside to these products is, again, the infrastructure that needs to be put in place to facilitate communication to the controlling software.
Wireless Lock 411 for Integrators
Wireless locks present a unique challenge to installation teams and users who are deploying them, according to Daniel Stewart, Product Integration Manager of Stanley Security, a division of Stanley Black & Decker. “This challenge results from an inability to physically see the wireless environment. With hardwired locks, it is relatively easy to troubleshoot the wire that runs between the device and the controller to identify any challenges. With wireless locks, the environment cannot be surveyed as easily.” An understanding of this is crucial in order to “adequately evaluate the frequency spectrums that their product uses for communication,” added Stewart. Additionally, because these wireless products are not inherently connected to the access system, updates, configuration changes, and commands sent to the locks may have a delay, which is important to realize. This needs to be taken into consideration when deploying a wireless lock solution. Karen Keating, Portfolio Marketing Manager of Electronic Access Control at Allegion, further pointed out that integrators need to do their homework upfront. “They have to understand the IT infrastructure. Are there additional costs that might be incurred for an additional node? There are advantages and disadvantages to every wireless approach out there. What do they need and what problems are they looking to solve? What is the initial budget? What is the ongoing cost budget? Make sure the solution is appropriate for the client.”