Jordan O'BrienASSA ABLOY, the parent company of lock specialist Yale, believes that smart locks are fast becoming the first priority for users considering a smart home. To back up its conclusion, the company conducted a report in partnership with IFSECGlobal.com which it used to establish consumer demand, what consumers think a digital door lock should do and any other thoughts consumers had – including security concerns.
The full report — titled The Smart-Home Security Report 2016 — is available free to download on the ASSA ABLOY website. It concludes that, increasingly, consumers understand that a smart home starts with a smart front door lock.
“In this survey we polled hundreds of would-be adopters of this rapidly maturing technology from all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” explains Adam Bannister, chief editor of IFSECGlobal.com. The result is a detailed assessment of the attributes consumers are coming to expect from a smart lock.
The report covers multiple aspects of this growing market, beginning with a fundamental question: what should a digital door lock do? And how do consumers want to control the new smart lock on their front door? The report details the functionality that potential consumers believe a lock and its paired smartphone App should have, from remote opening to automated push notifications when anyone opens your lock.
“We already lead the way in providing digital access control to commercial companies with security-sensitive premises,” explains Thomas Schulz, director marketing and communications ASSA ABLOY EMEA. “Regular homeowners, too, are being won over by the advantages that wireless digital door locks bring for smart-home security.”
The report compares digital and mechanical security, examining potential adopter concerns and hopes for new smart-home technologies. Also it examines how much customers would be willing to pay for the increased functionality of a digital front door lock. Where do they want to buy such a lock? And what worries potential buyers about the installation and operation of a smart door lock?
Thomas adds: “Potential adopters are sophisticated; they have strong opinions about what they want from these products. We are delighted to be able to share some of our growing knowledge base with others in the sector. Our Yale Keyfree and Keyless Connected products, as well as the ENTR digital lock, distributed worldwide under brands including Mul-T-Lock, Vachette, TESA, KESO, NEMEF and Yale, already make up the largest range of connected security locks for smart homes on the market.”
This report is packed with data, and includes up-to-date qualitative insights reported by survey respondents, editorial staff at IFSECGlobal.com, and experts at ASSA ABLOY.