Consumers are knowledgeable and demanding about smart lock products, and 99% of the surveyed rated security at least “somewhat important” and 90% as “very important,” according to a wide-ranging survey polled potential adopters across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Consumers are knowledgeable and demanding about smart lock products, and 99% of the surveyed rated security at least “somewhat important” and 90% as “very important,” according to a wide-ranging survey polled potential adopters across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The survey was conducted on potential smart lock adopters across Europe, Africa and the Middle East to find out the market’s expectations.
The report says smartphones will be the most convenient remote control for the new generation of locks, and customers know what they want from any app that operates their lock.
Smart lock apps should send a notification when someone enters, and enable homeowners to check the status of their door — open/closed, locked/unlocked — from anywhere.
Customers also appreciate the ability to issue or revoke digital keys, so a neighbour can feed the cat while owners are on holiday, say, or to cancel a builder’s access rights once a job is complete. It’s far more convenient and secure than having a new set of keys cut.
Going further, remote opening via app enables users to let in a cleaner, a contractor or their child from anywhere, at any time.
The ability to override the digital technology — to open the door with a physical key — is also ranked as “very important” by three-quarters of respondents. Leading smart locks have a built-in mechanical override, so users can still unlock the door with a key in the event of a power failure.
Another critical feature is that locks should integrate seamlessly with smart home platforms, so homeowners can control all their smart gadgets from the same app or web interface.
“We are seeing the beginning of a major shift to smart residential access control,” says Thomas Schulz, Director Marketing and Communications EMEA at ASSA ABLOY Group, whose brands including Yale and Mul-T-Lock have already gained popularity in the domestic smart door lock market.
“The total integration of security, energy consumption and other critical domestic functions, all controlled from a single smartphone or tablet app, is coming,” Schulz says.
ENTR Smart Door Lock already comes with all the functionality that consumers value most, as well as optional features such as a remote control and fingerprint reader. The lock is sold Europe-wide under multiple trusted ASSA ABLOY locking brands, including Yale, Mul-T-Lock, TESA, KESO, Vachette, NEMEF and FAB. Yale Keyless and Keyfree Connected locks are equally powerful, and integrate easily via the Z-Wave protocol with leading smart-home platforms.
Property developers are already adopting these technologies for new apartment and housing blocks. Opening this year in Istanbul, for example, 1,700 new homes at Future Park will have their heating, lighting and Yale front door lock all controlled by the same integrated app.