Access Control Solution Growth Opportunities

Cloud Connectivity and Robust Credentials are Reinvigorating the Physical Access Industry

Among the core physical security solutions, access control solutions that enforce who specifically has access to a facility or area have been one of the first lines of defense for organizations to secure their facilities. By expanding beyond simply a door lock and key to open a facility entry point, organizations have always had some sort of additional access measures in place to ensure that only the individuals who should be able to enter an area are moving throughout that area.

Traditionally, this has come in the form of access cards or hardware tokens that hold a person’s identifying information and must be scanned or inserted at the point of entry to determine who is attempting to enter the space. For decades, this level of access control was enough for organizations, even as digitalization and advanced security measures gained ground throughout the security industry. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic upending what many security teams considered their organization’s “perimeter access” and the widespread adoption of secure and frictionless ways for individuals to prove their identities - ranging from biometric scans and mobile credentials to NFC readings from a specific device - organizations are considering how they can modernize their existing access control systems to leverage these new technologies while limiting the disruption to the ongoing security of their facilities.

The access control solutions market has carved a unique path for itself in terms of the overall physical security industry. While access control solutions have remained a core piece of physical security teams' portfolios, the industry has largely stayed insulated from the effects of the ongoing digitalization and the introduction of digital security principles. However, with the continued uptick in mobile and biometric credential usage, the desire for organizations to tap into the data held within their legacy access control systems, and the onset of the pandemic (which thrust remote capabilities into the spotlight), the market has been shaken by a new wave of innovation that is introducing multiple new means of conducting identity verification, increasing remote and real-time access to system data, and seeking to integrate these systems into the broader security ecosystem (be it through cloud access or hybrid integrations).

After many years of status quo, physical access control solutions are rapidly shifting from legacy, hardware-centric systems to connected and digitalized solutions that exist as part of a broader organizational security solution. The ability for new access control capabilities or solutions to be built as an additional layer on top of foundational access control systems will make it even easier for organizations to modernize their access systems at a more cost-effective price point. Not only will these more robust solutions enable organizations to better protect themselves from security threats or vulnerabilities but they can also improve the overall experience for their customers and employees (who are looking for a more seamless means of access and identity authentication).

Research Scope:

This research service analyzes the global access control solutions market, and it identifies particular trends, best practices, and customer decision-making factors within 6 market verticals, that is, law enforcement, retail, enterprises, airports, utilities, and banking and financial services. The study includes a comprehensive market analysis, including market size and forecast from 2021 to 2030, segmented by customer vertical and region. In addition, this research service identifies key growth opportunities, covering the technology solutions and capabilities that will enable further market growth and spending on access control solutions. It also examines specific regional factors and influences that can affect how regional customers or different customer verticals seek to plan for, integrate, and update their access control solutions, over time.

The study analyzes how the global COVID-19 pandemic will affect short-term spending in the market, and it offers long-term perspectives on how this period could lead to suppressed short-term demand, followed by a spike in growth as the pandemic’s broader effects recede. The various growth opportunities discussed within this research service include how access control solutions, after many years of more stagnant growth, have recently seen an uptick in new customer interest due to novel credential methods, the need for remote and touchless capabilities, and the desire to better read the data collected about user access within a facility. Growth opportunities are related to how surveillance systems are implementing new credentialing methods and system architecture, convergence with digital security policies and identity management measures, and how new business models and system architectures are changing how access control systems are designed and integrated within an organization.