The future is now: 3 key trends influencing the access control systems of tomorrow

Change – it’s inevitable – and we’ve all been dealt our fair share of it in recent months. Change in the way we live, work and plan for the future. But not all change is bad. Change is accelerating innovation and development across multiple industries, including – you guessed it – access control. Housing Associations are already embracing new technologies and implementing them in ways that benefit both their business and the people they serve – but the industry isn’t staying still. Here are just three key things to look out for:

1. Remote control (no, not the one for your TV) 

Remote, online working has become the norm this year and is set to transform the way Housing Associations operate. Removing the need for office locations, remote management technology benefits multi-site access control, reduces manual processes and irons out security inconsistencies by allowing for real time access granting or revocation.

2. A mobile-first approach 

A year of quarantines, lockdowns and remote working has meant a lot of us spending more time on our phones. In fact, by April we were glued to our mobile devices for 4.3 hours per day on average.1 So, with this and a move towards remote access control in mind, developers are starting to embrace mobile-centric access control solutions. Why is it beneficial? Because it removes the need for physical contact, can be retrofitted into existing systems, improves security, reduces replacement costs associated with key cards and importantly is easy to use, making access control easier for those with mobility issues.

With these two emerging technologies in mind, we’re taking a quick pause to tell you about our latest wireless intercom innovation, the DD-02 intercom. A next-gen, accessible door entry system, the DD-02 features a pinhole video camera for residents to view visitors on their smartphone before granting access and can be controlled via our secure remote online system, so housing professionals can quickly and easily manage building access.  

And that’s not all! Discover more about how the DD-02 is answering accessibility needs at this key time of change for Housing Associations.

3. Facing the future 

Biometric technology, once deemed the stuff of sci-fi films, is now a reality and predicted to replace coded access in the future. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, innovation in this area has skyrocketed as developers look to create facial recognition systems of higher quality, at affordable prices. Installation could soon be as cost effective as a key card system. But there are challenges – the technology must be advanced enough to prevent spoofing, learn how to adapt to any changes in people’s facial features, ensure data privacy and much more to be a truly effective option for Housing Associations.

And then there’s implantables, computer components inserted in the body to allow access at the wave of a hand…For now, still very much a thing of the movies, but if you’re in Elon Musk’s camp, they could be a reality sooner than we think.

For more insight into how Intratone are answering the access needs of Housing Associations, now and for the future, get in touch with one of our team today.