Access Enablement vs Access Control

Overview

The market at large needs interoperable solutions that enable the convergence of services and experiences to be delivered. This is where the future growth will occur in our industry, in areas we haven’t seen or anticipated with customers and partners we don’t currently have. This is where innovation is occurring now. As an industry we speak of innovation, yet we are really just iterating our products. Innovation comes from solving complex problems, not arguing the technical differences of protocols and programing languages.

In the future these solutions will come together in an interoperable mobile wallet of some sort. One that displaces the current ways of managing credentials via apps. To begin this transition, we need better definition around what we are trying to accomplish and which situations it applies to. The future state concept being pushed by Apple, Google and Samsung around wallets and access to everything, everywhere with them is great but how do we get there? For this concept to work they need more devices installed everywhere in the world and not just at traditional access-controlled openings. We as an industry need to concentrate on getting more connected devices into the field in as many locations and applications as possible. This is how we deliver value that sets us apart and makes us important.

We need to deliver access enablement vs access control.

Access Enablement

What the hell is that? I know right now that is exactly what is running through your head. So, let’s try to bring some definition and clarity to what I am talking about.

The act of enablement is as defined above, “giving someone the authority or means to do something” in our case unlock a door with a mobile or RFID credential instead of a key. And for a business definition it is about making “something possible or easier”. This is what my product Switch? Tech does. It gives new abilities and authority and makes it easier for the access to locks to be managed and delivered. We are really just providing replacement solutions to brass keys at the end of the day and by doing so we deliver additional benefits to users, administrators and mangers. It is very important that we acknowledge what exactly we are doing as platforms. This is what will allow us to better clarify and express to all stakeholders what they are acquiring from us and our partners and how it can help them. Our sales teams have been confused about what it is they are selling. That confusion has led them to not embracing these solutions and pushing them in the market. As a business we have been saying these products are “access control” products and they really are not. We need to make a distinction within our product offerings as to which ones are about enablement and which ones are about control. Products like Switch? Tech enable:

• ·????????Convenience
• ·????????Accountability
• ·????????Visibility
• ·????????Transparency
• ·????????Compliance
• ·????????Assurance
• ·????????Operational Efficiency

Notice I do not list Security or Control. That is because a product like Switch? doesn’t change the security state of the opening or give the user direct control of it remotely. The security is provided by the physical lock, not the Switch? Tech core. But isn’t the Core secure? Yes, for sure it is cyber secure but that is not the same as Security in an access control context. And this is where I think we get ourselves into trouble as an industry and create confusion for customers. We have been conditioned to believe customers will only be interested in a new product if it delivers “higher security”. But that is part of the old access control paradigm and one that does not align well with the future state transformation that is happening now. Cyber security and physical security are two different things. Both are important but they play different roles in the conversation with customers. Building cyber secure products is table stakes today for any connected product and why we use LEGIC.

When you get out into the field and speak with the end users and understand their daily pain points you begin to see how a product like Switch? Tech can improve things for them. It can start to take away some of their daily pain. Switch? Tech is not the perfect solution, but fun fact, the perfect solution doesn’t exist. If we quit leading with Security as the reason for the adoption of Switch Tech by an end user. And instead ask them if they want something that is more convenient to manage, that improves users accountability, that gives them greater visibility to activities, that promotes transparency in their organization, that helps with compliance, that delivers higher assurance and finally also improves their overall operational efficiency, I think we will find they are far more interested in acquiring a solution that does that. But if we lead with Security in the traditional context and they start comparing it to the list of features needed for security it quickly looks deficient.

?

Access Control

Now that we have looked at the definition of enablement, let’s look at the definition of control and what the differences are.

The act of control is defined as “the power to influence or direct people’s behavior” this is an aggressive and domineering stance when compared to enablement. It is about the use of power over others. This was the original intent of the systems that were built to facilitate access control. Friction in the design was expected and even encouraged because the friction helped “force” conformity with the new process. Friction was power. Access control was rapidly associated with Security to explain its overall aims and goals. Making users go through elaborate processes created the illusion of security. That mindset has stuck with us for decades and is now ingrained in the industry and why it is resistant to changes. Security is paramount and anything that reduces friction is perceived as lessening “Security”. We have seen this across the industry as it has resisted outside forces of change like “the cloud” and “mobile”. Everyone immediately claimed they were “less secure” and fought the transition tooth and nail. After all access control products must deliver:

• ·????????Security
• ·????????Control
• ·????????Authorization
• ·????????Risk Management
• ·????????Limit Access
• ·????????Restrictions
• ·????????Auditing
• ·????????Identity

The migration of access control to the cloud however started a revolution in the thinking about access control and what it could deliver to its users. New ways of thinking emerged and what was once simple and clear soon became confusing to everyone. Are we delivering security or convenience? The cloud brought far wider distribution of services capabilities and with that a mindset focused on usability by everyone including end users. This transformation of thought has led to the clash between security and convenience we see today. In parallel with this clash, advancements in technology added further confusion because higher security and better identity management was as also being enabled by the cloud and mobile solutions. Everything continues to be in flux today and one could argue has gotten worse not better since Apple opened up NFC and their wallet.?

As manufacturers worked to keep up with the changes and industry transformation, they followed different paths. There was no clear direction from the market on what needed to be created. Things were moving too fast. Big Tech and the Silicon Valley took notice of the changes and sensed an opportunity to disrupt the access control industry which by 2015 it was ripe for it. Enter the new Cloud based Access Control, Video and Visitor Management solutions along with new hybrid platforms that included hardware as part of their offering. These companies were watching the early success of companies like Brivo and Eagle Eye with their cloud forward concepts. Most significantly so were Private Equity firms and Venture Capitalists. Soon money poured into new startups and the race for dominance was on. The Pandemic initially gave everyone pause but then as some saw the rapid changes to user behaviors they started doubling down and making bigger bets on the future. Lots of ideas were given life for better or worse. Now that we are past the Pandemic reality has set in and we are seeing some of the bigger bets fail and exit. That doesn’t mean they were wrong about their ideas, it just means they failed to read the market maturity correctly.

Access Control Locks

Building wireless access control locks is hard. BEST pioneered the industry with their Wi-Q solution and helped benchmark expectations. Wi-Q strove to be an “access control” solution by providing as many of the physical wired features as possible. It even went so far with WAMS to be its own access control software solution and was patterned after leading platforms like Lenel On Guard. If the access control industry never moved to the cloud or mobile, Wi-Q would be the only platform ever needed even today. It is even ugly and physically conveys the concept of access control in its design. Sorry it had to be said, might as well acknowledge the elephant in the room. Do we still need access control centric locks? Certainly, there will always be a market and demand for these products and in fact it is growing. Threats to all types of facilities continues to grow and we need to have products that deliver access control in a wireless form factor that makes it easy for them to be deployed rapidly.

Conclusion

The reality is the access control lock market is still relatively small when looked at in global terms. What is in higher demand is products that at are access enabled. This is where Switch? Tech can have an impact as well as other new platforms we are working on at dormakaba. These products help businesses with digital transformation and achieving new goals that they have around operational efficiency and excellence. More importantly these products can help deliver better experiences to user’s and that is where the real value lies. By enabling new interactions and new solutions we can drive growth for our business and our partners. Enabling access, enables sales growth.