September 3, 2026
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Home Articles posted by a&s Adria (Page 205)

In-Store Analytics optimize the shopping experience in retail

Home appliances retailer BSH measures customer engagement with metrics from smart cameras

The next generation of retail stores optimizes sales floor presentations by tracking customer traffic. At home appliances store BSH in Vienna, Bosch cameras with built-in Intelligent Video Analytics collect metadata on how customers respond to special displays. Drawing on this actionable data from in-store analytics, retailers can create more inspiring customer experiences at brick-and-mortar locations.

When it comes to allocating display space in brick-and-mortar stores, retailers face a challenging question: How efficient are special product presentations in generating customer interest and, ultimately, sales? Unlike online shopping, where every click is tracked for analysis, stationary retail lacks hard data on how customers navigate through product presentations. That’s why the home appliances retailer decided to adopt In-Store Analytics at its Vienna brand store for a new level of insights into customer traffic and engagement.

Actionable data for store operators
In particular, the retailer wanted to measure the effects of a new design concept for the sales floor. It relies on displaying key products, for instance washing machines, prominently on special ‘highlight walls’. The walls feature plexiglass backdrops in light blue color and special lighting to attract customers’ attention. But from a logistics perspective, highlight walls cost more and provide less display space than ‘regular’ product stands. So are these specialized displays worth the investment?

Privacy and business intelligence
The data-based answers arrived with Bosch In-Store Analytics. Already trusted in retail environments across the globe, the analytics suite relies on Bosch IP cameras equipped with Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) to gather metadata on customer traffic. Embedded discreetly into the ceilings, six panoramic IP cameras create an anonymized position data stream of shoppers’ movements. In-Store Analytics further processes this data into performance results and visualizations, shared through web interfaces with the store team. In comparing the impact of highlight walls versus other store displays, the team can draw on an unprecedented level of traffic data.
The engagement funnel provides precise metrics for behavior in specific areas of the store, including: The number of shoppers to have “passed by” a section. Also the amount who “dwelled” and slowed down in front of a display. And most importantly, the “engaged” shoppers interacting with a product. For long-term insights, these metrics can be compared to past data to see whether updates and special initiatives make an impact on engagement. At all times, full customer privacy is maintained by sending customer position data from the cameras directly to the Bosch In-Store Analytics Cloud, without video streams ever leaving the site.

Optimizing the retail store experience
The comprehensive data analysis, precise down to the level of an individual product display, yielded important insights. The store team learned that a washing machine displayed on a highlight wall achieves an 84 percent higher customer engagement rate than comparable, non-featured products. And these metrics were just the beginning of more data-based optimizations of customer experiences in stationary retail. Visualizations of in-store foot traffic allow the design team to select store layouts for optimal customer experiences and product discoveries. Based on findings from its Vienna location, the retailer implemented highlight walls to display featured products in its latest physical storefront in the town of Graz, opened in 2020.
Beyond product-specific metrics, In-Store Analytics also measures the success of initiatives such as live cooking events. By adopting In-Store Analytics, the retailer can leverage precise data sets in strategic decision-making. The team is able to calculate conversion rates for specific products as the basis for effective product positioning and evaluating the product portfolio on display at stores. In this new generation of retail experiences, ensuring high profitability per square footage is no longer a guessing game, but part of an ongoing optimization process to enhance the customer experience based on smart data.

“Thanks to engagement funnel, we can evaluate success of different design concepts based on a product-level experience.”

Stefan Tenor, BSH Home Appliances Group

More information: boschsecurity.com

Securing one of the busiest shopping malls in Turkey’s capital

Keeping a watchful eye over the thousands of visitors that flock to Ankara’s vast Metro Mall every day is no easy job. To achieve real peace of mind, the security team chose a video security solution from Hikvision, and received reliable, innovative and cost-effective technology to protect shoppers and staff 24/7.

The challenge: choosing reliable video security to protect thousands of visitors
The Metro Mall in Ankara, Turkey, is one of the busiest entertainment and business centers in the capital. Combining more than 200 stores with offices, a cinema, cafes, restaurants and a gym, the site covers nearly 220,000 square meters, while the nearby metro station sees a footfall of more than 300,000 commuters every day.

Given the busy nature and complexity of the location, the security of shoppers and workers is a top priority – but it’s also a challenge. “We knew well before it opened that the Metro Mall was bound to become a hotspot for shoppers and commuters, and that security would be a challenge,” says Bahri BERÇİN, the Metro Mall Manager. “We needed a solution that could cope with this complexity, and which we could rely on.”

“We had a number of proposals of CCTV solutions, but the proposal from Hikvision Turkey stood out by far,” said Bahri BERÇİN. “The full solution was very thorough and the technology appeared to be of extremely high quality.”

Solution overview
Hikvision began the project by working with Meriç Technology ltd. to carry out a site survey. “Being such a complex and busy site, we needed to ensure we had enough cameras to offer comprehensive security,” says Yunus Bölükbaş, the Pre-sales Engineer at Hikvision Turkey.

Following the survey, Hikvision and its partner designed a CCTV solution comprising more than 500 cameras to be located both inside the mall, the parking lots and around the perimeter.

For security inside the mall, Hikvision recommended its 2MP Vari-focal IR Bullet Cameras mounted to the walls, and Vandal-proof Network Dome Cameras mounted on the ceiling, assisting the security team with situational awareness at all times.

For reliable outdoor security – day, night, and in all weathers – Hikvision Network IR PTZ Dome Cameras were installed around the perimeter of the mall, for a comprehensive view of the mall’s exterior, while their 20x optical zoom enables the security team to inspect potential threats in very close detail.

Hikvision also installed Access Control panels and Mifare Card Readers, to enable security personnel and other authorized mall staff to gain secure card-based access to restricted areas. The whole solution was connected to Hikvision Network Video Recorders, to support all processing and analysis of the recordings at the mall’s security control center.

Benefits: better security for visitors and staff – with great future potential

“It’s definitely making a real difference,” says Hüseyin GENÇER, the Metro Mall technical manager of the project. “The solution is helping us protecting the mall’s customers much more effectively, and providing reliable evidence for investigation of security incidents, which exactly what we had hoped for.”

The access control panels are also helping to secure the restricted areas of the mall. “We can give each member of staff access to the parts of the mall that are relevant for their work. We are also able to see where everyone is at all times.” adds Hüseyin GENÇER. “Also, integration between the Hikvision CCTV and Mavili fire Alarm systems has helped us improve our low voltage system management operations”.

The security team is now planning to expand its system to the nearby residential area, which comprises five buildings, each 30 stories high. Hikvision also plans to install the iVMS-5200E Centralized Management System and integrate it with the mall’s third party alarm system, so that the Metro Mall team can manage video streams, access control devices and its fire alarms from a single place.

Hüseyin GENCER is very happy with the technology and how the project was run, “We want to thank the whole Hikvision for their efforts during pre-sales and delivery support. And we are planning to expand the security system to the nearby residential area.”

Uniview will released a new 5MP active deterrence mini PTZ camera

When it comes to PTZ, stereotypes are large, bulky, heavy, and costly. Therefore, finding a completely different outdoor PTZ has become a challenge for CCTV suppliers. meanwhile Most of video surveillance products are used to help restoring the events afterwards while products which can early warning plays more significant roles since they prevent events from happening. Based on above reasons, Uniview decide to release a new 5MP active deterrence outdoor mini PTZ camera IPC675LFW-AX4DUPKC-VG.
The purpose of active deterrence is that once a stranger enters the view of the camera, the strobe light will be triggered and the built-in speakers make sounds that fit different scenes. It allows the active deterrence camera to be widely used for many areas. It allows the active deterrence camera to be widely used for many areas. For areas dangerous for pedestrians, such as the entrances and exits of parking lot. Pedestrians should be careful to walk from the entrance of motor vehicles in case of accidents. It can warn if detected any pedestrian pass through the entrance. Besides, for perimeter detection purpose, it is suitable for villas, construction site and more. The built-in speaker will sound “You are in the warning area, please leave here as soon as possible” when an intruder wants to enter the forbidden site. Furthermore, it is also applied to customers welcome, key scene security, automatic broadcasting, etc… The active deterrence camera has truly enhanced monitoring functions and reduced the labor cost.

Benefit
Compared with traditional video surveillance, the active deterrence mini PTZ can stop the illegal events. Once an intruder is detected, the PTZ will trigger strobe lights and audio alarms. It is designed to expel the intruders before they attempt to enter the prohibited site.

16:9 aspect ratio
Compared with conventional 5MP resolution camera, IPC675LFW-AX4DUPKC-VG uses 16:9 aspect ratio instead of 4:3 which provides a full screen display.

7×24 protection
Powered by LightHunter technology, it has an exceptional low-light sensor with a minimum illumination of 0.01 lux which means it can provide clear images and record high quality video in full color and low-light level environments. Featuring a 4x optical zoom motorized lens, the PTZ enables to provide more details in a surveillance image.

Two-way talk
Furthermore, built-in MIC & speaker makes it easy for remote communication with people in front of the camera. It helps the guards to monitor and control more areas on time with camera itself without extra loudspeaker.

Strobe & Flood Light Warnings
Equipped with two sets of lights: a red and blue strobe light on top of the PTZ and a flood light located under the lens of camera, The strobe can be set between 1 and 600 times to flash anywhere. At night, the floodlights will turn on and move with the lens. This means that if automatic tracking is enabled, the floodlights will track the person who triggered the alarm. Both two sets of lights ensure that any potential intruders are warned and each movement of the target is recorded. In addition, once the floodlight is turned on, the camera will automatically switch from IR mode to color mode, which makes it fully functional

Applications
The camera is suitable for various outdoor environment, such as retail shop, residential, riverside and construction site, etc. It is very easy to install and use. What’s more, the camera can also be customized and imported language and voice by customer, which makes it more flexible and interesting.

More information please visit www.uniview.com.
If you have any business query, please contact fengjunqing@uniview.com.

Interview: Baudouin Genouville, Managing Director, Suprema

a&s Adria: Mr Genouville, could you present yourself to our readers: what is your role at Suprema, which departments and markets are you in charge with, your educational and professional background, etc.?

Genouville: As the Managing Director of Suprema Europe, my mission is to increase Suprema footprint and market share in Europe and Africa. For more than 15 years our business partners in the regions have been in direct interaction with Suprema Inc Korea and now we offer localized service for Sales, Consulting, Technical Support and logistics directly for Central Europe. Our office and warehouse are in France, Paris area and our Sales&Technical teams speak English/German/French/Spanish/Russian/Romanian.
This new organization is in place since early 2020 and it has proven success: our partners get delivered products quicker, do not need large stock, have technical answers replied within the day and do not lose time on fixing past project issues: they can focus on iterating new project, one after the other without the burden.

a&s Adria: This year Suprema celebrates 20th year in access control and time and attendance business. What were the most important milestones on a way to success, are you pleased with the position of Suprema, how many people do you employ, revenue, to how many contries does your sales network extend to, etc.?

Genouville: Suprema Inc employs 350 workers worldwide, we have reached 84,3M USD turnover in 2019, which represents 16% increase from previous year. When I remember that we were 120 employees in 2013, with near 20M USD turnover (year I have joined the company), then I can only measure positively our success.
The reason for success of Suprema in our region is the enjoyable customer journey, with our business partners repeating successful projects and implementation for both Mid-end and High-end Access Control and Time Attendance. Suprema grows together with its partners: they implement projects, get financial profit and knowledge out of it. And next year with another or the same end-user, our partner takes bigger projects (or site increase) and pushing for Suprema products to be used (because reliable and trusted). Suprema has 35 Business Partners in all countries of Europe and our BP are distributors, system integrators and sometimes installers.

a&s Adria: Aproximately, how many people are using your products and how many Suprema’s systems are in operation worldwide?

Genouville: Suprema’s fingerprint authentication algorithm is used by several large smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung Smartphones. It makes hundreds millions users for our solutions worldwide. For access control in Europe, we install each year in Europe 30,000+ doors, half of it being RFID and half of it being biometrics (Fingerprint and Face). So we estimate to have 150,000+ active doors, with 30 million monthly unique users. That makes us a leading Access Control provider in Europe.

a&s Adria: What are the most important Suprema core technologies? Could you present your product portfolio in brief?

Genouville: As I mentioned before, RFID represent 50% of our yearly sold units. We propose the legacy Centralized access control with [CoreStation Door Controller + Readers], and we are also the historical leader for the intelligent readers [Reader/Controller] called XPass. That edge product was first released in 2008 (XPass V1) and in 2019 we have launched Xpass2, that includes dual RF as well as BLE/NF for mobile credentials.
On the Biometric side, we offer most common authentication methods, with Fingerprint (85% of the market) and Face (7% of the market). So we are not focusing on Biometric niche market such as fingervein, handvein, iris and other handshape which all together represent less than 5~10% of the market.
We have seen in 2020 a huge growth for Face Authentication, due to COVID and the need for Contactless + Skin temperature measurement + Covid Mask presence detection. This has been happening without negative effect on our Fingerprint reader sales, since user understand using Fingerprint is not at risk when standard hygienic procedures are followed.

a&s Adria: Suprema has been expanding contactless solutions to better meet the market needs during the coronavirus pandemic. The highlight product this year has been your new multimodal terminal FaceStation F2. Why is it so innovative, and what is the advantage of combining two technologies: visual and IR face recognition?

Genouville: Since we have years of experience with new products launch, we can already tell that FaceStation F2 is and will be a successful product at Suprema. I see that the product level demand (sales order, technical, consulting) is similar to our flagship product “BioEntry W2” when it was launched in 2017. The FaceStation F2 was launched in October but due to high demand and multiple large projects won, we already have some tension on the manufacturing lines. Our factory is running fast but the demand is above forecast.
So why that success? FaceStation2 has high specs and combines all requirements from users: Convenience+Functionality-Performance-Security. It is using both Infra-Red and Visual sensors to authenticate the users. As a comparison, you would be able to tell if a meal is good if you look at it, but without being sure. But if you can both see and taste it, you know for sure if it is at your convenience. That is FaceStation F2, providing secure authentication from 50cm to 1.3meters distance, for any human kind and high, with/without glasses, makeup, beard, hat or covid mask (just to mention these).
By choosing Suprema FaceStation F2, customers know that they get a product that is reliable, will work for all employees, with good quality and performance. And that Suprema will support them in the next 5~10 years, as we have been doing so far. Not many companies can race Suprema when it comes to that proposal!
So that is why users chose Suprema FaceStation F2 even against other products that cost 30% its price, because they know they will have issues in 1, 2, 3 years with the cheaper product (and that makes the cheaper product more expensive!).

a&s Adria: What are the advantages of FaceStation F2 being a multimodal terminal?

Genouville: Advantages are: the reading distance, the security level (including fake faces), the capability to authenticate users in multiple face variation and outside environment (light/dark), the possibility to enroll user from pictures or to encode user’s face template on a smart card (Mifare, DesFire, EV1/EV2).
For example the FAR (false acceptance rate) of FaceStation F2 is 1 to 10 billion and that is the new standard that we have put in place for the industry.

a&s Adria: BioStar 2 is a security platform that provides comprehensive functionality for access control, time & attendance management, visitor management, and video log maintenance. Tell us more about it?

Genouville: BioStar2 is the software that allows one to use all the existing Suprema devices for access control and time attendance in a single platform. It is web-based, very easy to use interface and has an affordable price point (license level per door for access control and per number of users for time attendance).
BioStar2 is available in multiple languages and has a GDPR compliant design (protection of Data Subject information, right to be forgotten, Audit trail to see who is doing what in the software).
BioStar2 uses SQL, CSV extract or PDF reporting. It can be installed on premise or remote site, even in the cloud. Also BioStar2 natively embeds Server API (RESTful/Json) that allows IT services to use their own interface of APIs to interact with the solution (automation means less work for all).

a&s Adria: Suprema has developed professional industry solutions for different industries, properties and scale. Can you present or at least enlist some of the most important case studies?

Genouville: When it comes to Biometrics, our customers are the ones who need secure access to their data/financials/facilities. These customers are DataCenters, Banks, Military, Airport, Law Firms, Casinos, R&D centers. As an example, Suprema is the Biometric solution chosen for 8/10 of the biggest DataCenters and IT solution providers in the world. This is true for some years in USA and now becoming a fact in Europe as well for the last 2 years.
On the RFID side, our customers’ expectations are different. They are choosing Suprema for the ease of use of our system, the scalability, the security and the functionalities proposed (for example MS Active Directory or 3rd party Video System integration). 10 years ago, Security and IT department of a company used to work separately, but we see that in today modern companies, they are under the same director. Because with ransomware, CyberCriminality and hacking, the Physical Access and Ethernet are now part of the same world. With proposing Edge devices (all TCP/IP), PoE capability, TLS 1.2 encapsulation, SSL security, Suprema exactly fits and talk the language of these new IT & Security directors. We simplify their work.

a&s Adria: What will be the most important trends in access control and time and attendance markets and what can we expect from Suprema in the next year or two?

Genouville: When it comes to access control, the industry requires reliability. So business/products cannot change very quickly since users are not willing to take the risk to move to something 100% new. Variations only are accepted! So the industry is moving smoothly to more biometrics (face) or Mobile Cards but still the RFID card remains (and I believe it will still remain predominant for the next 5 years).

a&s Adria: Your opinion on Adriatic region access control market and your company’s position in it? Do you have any special plans in this area, is there enough interest for your products, are you looking for a regional partner, how do you plan to expand market share?

Genouville: We have seen in 2020 a lot of growth of Facial Recognition sales of our products in the Adriatic region. Not only new FaceStation F2, but our FaceLite (mid-end, launched in 2019 with ~800 EUR MSRP) and FaceStation2 (high-end, launched in 2017 with ~1200 EUR MSRP) have been successful. This is most of the time reserved to customers requiring high security. But when you think that you do not need card anymore (card = cost and time to manage), this also makes it affordable.
The specificity with Adriatic countries for Suprema is that our RFID product constitutes 70% of our sales in the region (vs 50% in the EU and less than 30% worldwide). Because our Access Control and Time Attendance solutions fits the market requirement and it is well priced thanks to the use of Xpass2 RFID reader.
This is our 3rd year participating to Adria Summit (or related) and I believe the good understanding of our solutions by the end-users is all thanks to our Business Partner in the region. We are glad that the Suprema offering is very well understood by our Adriatic RFID Customers: they can get the security, convenience of a modern solution, with being in the range of their forecasted budget.
For this work that pays well, I would like to personally thank our Partners in the Adriatic for their good job!

a&s Adria No. 162

Salto acquires Gantner in Austria

Salto Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions, has acquired Gantner Electronic Austria Holding GmbH. Gantner is an Austrian company specialised in access systems, electronic locking and locker systems, cashless payment, cash register and billing systems, staff time recording systems as well as ticketing and management software for leisure facilities.

In addition to Gantner, Salto has added Clay (NL) and Danalock (DK) to its portfolio in recent years, thereby strengthening its position in cloud, mobile access, and customer-centric solutions such as ticketing systems and cashless payment.

Part of what attracted Salto to Gantner was their strong commitment to research and development. “The addition of Gantner to the Salto portfolio offers a very bright future for our ability to continue to deliver the absolute best in electronic access control solutions,” said Javier Roquero, the Co-founder and CEO of Salto. “The Gantner product suite offers a variety of innovative locking solutions as well as cashless payment and ticketing systems that enrich and diversify our product offering and will enhance the end-user experience. We are thrilled to welcome Gantner to the Salto family.”

With a combined workforce of 1,200 employees in 40 countries, including more than 230 dedicated to R&D, a turnover of €260 million and over a million access points delivered each year, the combined group consolidates its position as a global leader in electronic access control.

Salto and Gantner are ready and willing to accomplish new growth projects together. The combined group will enable Salto’s customers to offer their guests and employees a hassle-free end-to-end journey (e.g. access to parking lot, main entrance, elevators, ticketing, cashless payment, lockers, office doors, canteen and leisure facilities, all with the same credentials).

The transaction was financed by a combination of capital increase, bank financing and cash. The capital increase amounts to €125 million and has been subscribed by both existing shareholders such as Alantra(SP) and new investors such as Sofina (BE), Peninsula Capital (LUX), and Florac (FR). Financial investors will hold a combined 30% stake in Salto, with the remainder retained by Salto’s founding members and managers (60%) and private investors (10%).

Easing parking stress for Lidl shoppers

Retailers are constantly reinventing themselves to compete in the current shopping landscape, where customer experience is becoming more and more important. Traditional ’budget’ supermarket giant Lidl wanted to makes changes to attract a different type of shopper to adapt. They turned to technology to streamline infrastructure and make customers feel more welcome in one of the first places they see – the underground car park. Lidl asked top distributor ADI for this, who built a solution using Hikvision products. This was implemented in two Lidl stores in France.

Challenge
Grocery shoppers are often in a hurry, and the first potential delay to their shopping, and addition to their stress, is finding a parking space. Lidl wanted to improve this in their underground car park – to make the parking experience more welcoming for customers. The people they wanted to encourage into the store were in a higher socioprofessional group and they wanted to make them see the sophistication and ease of shopping at the store.
This meant a switch from well-known ultrasonic sensor technology widely used in Lidl parking to a Parking Vehicle Guidance System (PVGS). Although use of ultrasonic sensors was familiar to LIDL, it did not afford them complete coverage of the entire parking space. So, Lidl was in the market for a fresh perspective and wanted to try a new solution.

ADI looked at Hikvision for its trust in Hikvision’s technology and products, and its ability to ‘push the envelope’ of technology. As a result, a Parking Video Guidance Solutions (PVGS) has been deployed in two brand new underground parking garages for the retail chain in the towns of Choisy le Roi and Livry-Gargan.

Solution
The PVGS solution is built from a number of products and technologies, working seamlessly together through a dedicated HikCentral Enterprise VMS module.

External Interface Parking Guidance Cameras (DS-TCP345-K/S/DS-TVG 300) were set up throughout the car park to show drivers the way to the empty spaces. The single-lens camera monitors 1 or 2 parking spaces and can see immediately when a car enters or leaves the space(s). With this information, space occupancy status can be immediately updated, changing the corresponding guidance light to green, or red, for instance. This means drivers no longer have to continuously circle the car park on the stressful search for a space.

The cameras have a dual purpose, providing video security too. In fact, 100% of parking spaces are now covered by the camera network, so the security of the car park is increased.

The cameras are coordinated by Video Guidance Terminals (DS-TPM400-P(6T)/ DS-TPM400-P/TPS), and this is all brought together using a 16 Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch (DS-3E0516-E) and a General Purpose Server (DS-VE11D-C/HW01). In the monitoring center, operators use HikCentral VMS to manage the system, with HikCentral Enterprise licenses.

The entire solution is made up of Hikvision products – testimony to their flexibility and innovation. It provided an innovative answer to Lidl’s challenge, giving shoppers an easier, more welcoming way to start their shopping experience.

Mohamed El Shikby, Lidl’s Technical Real Estate Manager, says: “This new affordable system gives clear and effective guidance for our shoppers. They can immediately see parking space status on entry, avoiding wasted time and lowering risk of accident. We are confident that this will give a great first impression to all our customers, including new ones.”

This solution is scalable, so extension can be easily added by just adding new devices. It is a great example of Hikvision’s reputation as an innovative manufacturer with high quality products.

Siqura rebrands as TKH Security from 2021

From January 1st, 2021 onwards, all Siqura activities will continue under the banner of TKH Security. The two video security solutions companies were both already members of TKH Group NV. The Siqura video security solutions are often sold in combination with the developed security solutions of TKH Security and this complete solution, according to the group, is highly appreciated by their customers worldwide. Therefore, the time has come to group all activities in TKH Security.

“By combining all activities, we give our customers more transparency and clarity in what we can offer them. Furthermore, we increase our services. For example, the contact point for all questions and orders, invoices, documentation, support tickets, etc. will be centralised. This will be much more efficient for our customers as well as our employees”, says Timme Grijpink, Managing Director of TKH Security.

The Siqura brand will be retained for the wide product range of Siqura, such as security cameras, mobility cameras, marine cameras, explosion-proof and thermal cameras, IP video encoders, ethernet switches and fibre optic transmitters. This product range is complementary to the TKH Security product range, encompassing security management, video management, parking facility management and asset & site management solutions.

With this aggregation of activities TKH Security has offices worldwide in Amsterdam, Gouda and Zoetermeer (the Netherlands), Madrid (Spain), Dubai (UAE), Singapore and Frederick (USA).

Solving key challenges in education sector security

London, November 2020 – Every place of education owes a duty of care to its users. This raises the stakes for security. Add the valuable equipment and personal data held on-site and this becomes one of schools’ and universities’ biggest challenges. Choosing the right access control solution is critical.

Filtering access into and through any education institution is a formidable task. Diverse user groups have contrasting needs: senior management teams vs. cleaners, or IT staff vs. students. Indoor and outdoor spaces may require totally different levels of security. Visitors should experience a controlled, curated flow through the site. Staff need timely access to teaching rooms. Student access to the library or IT suite must be monitored. All this must be achieved while maintaining exactly the right degree of openness and welcome.

Budgeting is an ever-present challenge. Although a familiar technology, physical keys require security management which can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. Physical key admin puts added pressure on busy staff when someone loses a key, for example. Locks need changing; keys recut and reissued — and this costs money. With an electronic access system instead of traditional lock-and-key security, a few clicks in the management software cancels and reissues all relevant credentials, with almost no extra cost added. It saves facility managers’ valuable time and the organization’s money.

Wireless locking is fast and cost-effective to install, because it requires no invasive drilling. It’s also cheaper to run as, unliked wired locks, wireless door devices are powered by batteries and use very little energy. Education institutions all over the world have already found success by switching from mechanical to wireless electronic access control, in both cost and time savings, and by addressing challenges specific to their sector and situation.

Schools: time-saving access control without a specialist security team
Small establishments such as local schools do not have the budget or need for an in-house security expert. Yet their security challenges match any faced by large institutions. An access control technology suited to schools must be intuitive to operate — both hardware and software.

Maintenance presents another problem: in-house staff are unlikely to have the expertise, yet contracting a specialist is expensive. At Vejle Friskole in Denmark, managing security based on physical keys had been eating up “a very long time, approximately 5 hours a week,” explains Henrik Kækel, the school’s Technical Service Officer.

Vejle Friskole’s mechanical keys have since been replaced by an access control system; around 80 doors and cabinets are secured with SMARTair wireless locks. Approximately 250 students and teachers carry their own fob, programmed with individual access permissions. Locking devices fit many different types of opening, so everyone at the Friskole opens doors and cabinets with a single fob. There’s no need for separate locker keys, for example.

Wireless devices secure offices and classrooms, and are robust enough to handle high traffic at the main entrance door. Everything is managed efficiently with the SMARTair software.

“It was really bad [before] because we had big problems with keys that were lost,” adds Henrik Kækel. “There was a lot of work in key administration.” Today, Vejle Friskole staff spend around 5 minutes a week managing their access system. They also have the option to extend their access control system whenever they want to gain even more granular control over school buildings. Fast to install, SMARTair locking devices are an ideal, cost-effective retrofit solution for the education sector.

Universities: attracting international students with modern security
Prospective students weigh up campus safety when choosing a university*. This may be especially true in the lucrative, competitive market for international students — for whom anxious parents needing reassurance are also key decision-makers**.

Students enjoy tech-based solutions to everyday problems — security and access control included. In Mexico, Arkansas State University Campus Querétaro (ASUCQ) uses a mobile solution instead of keys or key-cards to unlock doors. The smartphone communicates with lock readers via standard mobile protocols, exactly as an access card would. There is no difference in the locking hardware, only the credential.

With a SMARTair Openow mobile system, staff and students keep “virtual “keys” inside an app. Campus managers can amend every virtual key’s access rights whenever they want, in real time if necessary: ASUCQ’s system is online.

A smartphone-based solution is perfect for a user-group — students — who lose credentials with ease. “It’s much easier to lose a card than a mobile phone,” says José Alfonso Suárez, ASUCQ’s Head of Operations***. On-device password and fingerprint ID add another layer of credential protection. Such modern security doubles as a marketing tool, signaling the university’s commitment to student safety: it has an ROI beyond keeping the campus safe.

Student accommodation: an easy solution to the lost key problem
Keys are easy to lose. Students can be prone to misplacing things. It’s a tough combination for anyone running student accommodation.

For new premises in Rennes, France, specialist provider Easy Student sought reliable, key-free locking. They wanted the residence to run efficiently — “like a hotel” — and without the workload of physical keys. Switching to wireless electronic locking managed via simple software is a huge time-saver for these student halls.

Easy Student also chose SMARTair access control****. “SMARTair does not require any technical knowledge. I trained quickly and found the software very easy,” says Cyril Verger, Managing Director at Easy Student Rennes. “The solution really simplified my life.”

If someone loses a credential, the software interface makes cancelling it fast and easy — a major change from the old days of mechanical locks and key organization charts. “A lost key can still be used,” M. Verger adds. “A lost credential can be cancelled easily.”

Every Easy Student credential is programmed to open multiple doors: the student’s own room, the main door and bike park around the clock; plus the common area and laundry room between 6.30am and 11.30pm only.

“Our students are very happy with the solution,” he adds. “They got used to it quickly, because this type of access control is found in lots of hotels and private homes.”

To learn more about the benefits of SMARTair wireless electronic access control, download a free Solution Guide at: https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/smartair

Significant growth predicted for biometrics market

Marketsandmarkets expects the biometric system market market to grow from USD 36.6 billion in 2020 to USD 68.6 billion by 2025, at an estimated CAGR growth of 13.4%. The major factors cited by the researchers as driving the market include the increasing use of biometrics in consumer electronic devices for authentication and identification purposes, the growing need for surveillance and security with the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, and the surging adoption of biometric technology in automotive applications, and of course the impact of Covid-19.

The growing demand for multi-factor authentication means that this sub-sector is predicted to show the fastest growth over the period. This is attributed to the rising need for additional security against the theft of sensitive data, especially in government and defence verticals. Combining multiple identifiers adds an extra level of protection, making the system more effective, accurate, and reliable. In addition, a multimodal biometric system can reduce the failure to enroll (FTE) and failure to capture (FTC) rates. The rapid development of biometric smart cards for payment and identification purposes is expected to drive the growth of the multi-factor authentication segment.

Hybrid systems offer more protection
Hybrid biometric systems are predicted to grow at the highest CAGR level, because they offer enhanced safety against spoofing or forgery through multi-level authentication. In addition, many countries, such as the US, India, and the UK, have adopted multimodal authentication systems (a combination of two or three biometric modalities, using contact-based or contactless systems) for security checkpoints at country borders due to the heightened threat of terrorist attacks.

The Middle East & Africa and South America are projected to show the highest growth in terms of geography. The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in terms of infrastructure, electronics industry, and other technological advancements. The growth of the biometric system market in the Middle East & Africa can be attributed to their unique geographic location, airport hubs, and increasing passenger traffic. The government sector is the primary investor in the biometric system market in the Middle East, mainly for the national ID projects; the banking sector is another major contributor to market growth in the region. The adoption of biometrics technology in other sectors such as residential and commercial security, healthcare, and travel & immigration is comparatively low, but it is expected to increase in the next few years.

This latest report from Marketsandmarkets cites some of the major companies involved in the development and supply of biometric systems including, Thales, Safran, NEC, Assa Abloy, and Fujitsu.

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