UniKey’s very own, Lee Odess, flew out to Birmingham, UK, for the annual FIT Trade Show in order to give us some insider knowledge on the what’s-what in the smart lock and access control industries. The trade show hosted several big names in the industry like ERA, Iceni Windows, and Avantek; showcasing the exceptional tech advancements in the field. Moreover, the show certainly did not disappoint when it came to exciting developments and even entertainment. After the show, Lee gave us a quick run-down on his main takeaways, as well as the apparent trends he noticed throughout the event.
The UK and Europe are ready to bring on smart devices
With the rise of smart homes, smart cities, and even autonomous cars, the UK and Europe are developing some of the most sophisticated, game-changing technology in order to make these concepts a reality. Lee explains that when it comes to Europe’s technological devices, “historically it has just been about connecting things or just powering them. Now it’s about making them smart”. Overall, the industry is ready to reshape the way we use our smart devices in order to create a safer, more sophisticated and convenient ecosystem.
Manufacturers are paying careful attention to aesthetics and experience
When it comes to their hardware, manufacturers are not only recognizing the importance of their products’ connected security, but also the overall aesthetics and experience their customers can appreciate.“They care about the finishes, how it feels, how it sounds…they are also focused heavily on the user interaction and making sure it’s seamless and adds value,” Lee points out.
The customer is always right (from end-users to locksmiths to fabricators)
This is something the industry vets understand and is sometimes overlooked by the new companies looking to “disrupt” the industry. When it comes to the security and peace of mind of their homeowners, industry leaders like ERA always deliver the finest security and stand behind it with guarantees; promising that if anything happens to a user’s home due to a faulty ERA product, the homeowner will be met with immediate response and care. It’s known as ERA Total Security. After seeing all of the remarkable hardware, technology, and a huge event full of innovative minds and ideas, there’s no doubt that the unveiled products are sure to deliver impressive experiences for homeowners and manufacturers alike.
Uber, Airbnb, Taskrabbit, and Lending Club; four very different apps with one thing in common: their shared ecosystem, which is better known as “The Sharing Economy”. This very same economy has been “disrupting established business models to usher in a new era of peer-to-peer, access-driven businesses” since 2008. And thanks to this economy and modern technology, costs of goods and services have gone down as a direct result of individuals sharing their assets and products at a national level through globalized apps like Turoand ThredUp, and it appears that this is only the very beginning for this collaborative economy.
By 2025 the sharing economy is expected to be worth 335 billion dollars; 20 times what it is today. Ravi Gururaj, chairman of Nasscom, explains that “the sharing economy has spurred ‘micro – entrepreneurs’ and facilitated the creation of new markets and economic activity where none previously existed.” Just think about it, all it takes to become an UBER driver is a clean background check and a relatively new car, and as unemployment rates rise more and more, people are looking for ways to earn money through their underutilised assets. It’s because of this that certain tech companies are beginning to develop tools to democratize their software and applications in an effort to help the sharing economy flourish into an ecosystem that could potentially be anyone’s game.
Between consumers, entrepreneurs, and businesses, the implementation of democratized access control could potentially disrupt an already disruptive economy. To put it simply, this sharing economy that a majority of us have taken part in, could become a greater and more convenient influence in our everyday lives. With the right piece of technology, profitable ventures of sharing personal and commercial property could be automated and set-up to allow anytime-anywhere access to these products. Leveraging the same kind of technology as seen in the Kevo smart lock, such as eKeys and controlled access, the future of the sharing economy could prove to be quite lucrative for all who choose to invest in sharing goods and services. Here’s how:
For the Consumers: Expect Convenience
As consumers, we go through several different points of access (office, home, and car doors) every day without even noticing. However, if you’ve ever rented a room from AirBnB, you’ve usually had to wait for the host to give you access to the room or apartment. With democratized access control, this is a process that could actually be eliminated as certain technology, such as the same eKey cloud technology that Kwikset’s Kevo smart lock operates on, could potentially be used here. Hosts will discover the simplicity of sending eKeys to their renters, and the renters will love the convenient and instant access to their rooms. This sort of technology has the potential to be supplemented in many other verticals such as car rentals, ride-sharing, and even retail! Just imagine how simple life could be if this technology made its way to merchandisers and was applied in a similar fashion to the tech that runs Amazon Go stores. Consumers could pull up a stores app, purchase an item, and receive a digital key that would allow them access to their item in the store; making the coveted grab-and-go experience a reality for all shoppers.
For the Entrepreneurs: Anticipate Innovation
For entrepreneurs, the time of getting into the sharing business has arrived. With smart access control technology, anyone can create their own smart lock powered sharing service. Say you’re a handyman who wants to start a small business where you can rent out your tools to neighbors, or even other handymen. Or perhaps you’re a bike or car owner who wants to rent out your vehicle for extra cash. This is now a possibility with democratized access control. You would merely have to allocate the access to your renters through designated eKeys, which would be connected to the powered lock. What’s more, can you imagine what this kind of technology will bring about once self-driving cars hit the market? Using smart access control, your car could navigate throughout town and unlock itself for those looking for a ride. With the eKey as a proof of purchase, your users can freely access your shared assets, and you can effortlessly profit from an otherwise underutilized resource. With smart technology, the future of this access economy is shaping up to be a win-win for all.
Businesses and OEM’s: Expect More Control
For access control businesses and original equipment manufacturers, expect more control over the development of your prototype. Through the utilization of democratized access control, leading manufacturers can experience faster rates of development, lower development costs, and an easy pathway to enterprise scalability post prototyping. We envision a development kit that contains all of the sophisticated technology mentioned above, as well as Passive Intent and effortless scalability, resulting in a painless hardware integration. Moreover, tech integrators will find faster rates of development as they can skip over the process of software development
Sharing is Thriving
Roughly seventy years ago Joseph Schumpeter, a world-renowned Physicist, predicted that perfect competition would not be nearly as relevant to our economy so much as the innovation of start-up companies and the competitive technology they choose to implement will be. While we watch the state of our economy unfold into an ecosystem full of sharing applications created through start-up companies like Uber and AirBNB, we can see that this 1950’s economist was certainly onto something. Year after year access control technology has grown smarter and more applicable to worldly applications. Now, more than ever, we have the greatest opportunity to use it as a means of benefitting our world AND economy. To learn more about how democratized tech can transform our economy visit unikey.com.
Believe it or not, the time of retiring in one job is slowly fading away as the shift to swapping full-time jobs for monetary, contracted employment is sweeping our country’s workforce. With this new “Gig Economy” retirement as we once knew it may become redefined. In place of the conventional concept of long-term employment and benefits, app-based platforms have given rise to a new way of working, in which workers forge a living through a framework consisting of micro jobs. Gig employees are among a diverse group of individuals occupying an array of jobs similar to hopeful, novice musicians. These employees work individual gigs using app platforms that take them to their consumer market.
In the last 50 years, the U.S. workforce has grown by over 300% in regards to the number of contracted/temporary employees; giving rise to the next generation of the Gig economy.
Gig Economy 2.0 Includes Smarter Access
This year, we will begin to see smart access control systems ushering in a second generation of the Gig economy by providing more methods of collaboration for employers, employees, and end-users of the economy’s services. Gigs like: grocery delivery, maid services, home repair, and dog walking are just a few of the jobs that can expect greater control and efficiency when utilizing smart access control.
More Opportunities on the Rise
There’s no doubting that we’re living in an on-demand world, and as a result, we’re often running around on a day to day basis. Whether it’s to work, a vacation, or school, people are on the move more than ever before, and gig based services often feel the heat as their jobs often get inhibited by their customers’ busy schedules.
A lot of gig economy jobs require customers to be at home for services such as grocery delivery, handy work, and housekeeping. However, if platforms such as Handy or Instacart integrated smart access control into their mobile apps via APIs & SDKs, customers of the gig economy that have smart locks such as Kevo or August on their front doors can find the same level of ease in granting access to these contracted services as gig employers.
So now, instead of worrying about having to be home at an agreed upon time, customers can simply send their handymen, dog walkers, and delivery service provider temporary digital keys automatically from the Gig economy app once the service has been booked. This will let them in on customers’ behalf; making the on-the-go lifestyle a lot easier for all involved. Upon completion of the gigs, the digital keys will then be revoked and the door will automatically lock.
Moreover, platforms that integrate smart access control will also send customers notifications when their gig services provider have entered and left their homes; making real-time monitoring of the services possible and adding comfort to the overall experience.
Keeping up with the Economy
“The gig economy is empowerment. This new business paradigm empowers individuals to better shape their own destiny and leverage their existing assets to their benefit.” John McAfee
With the evolution of the internet, we have found instant connectivity, simplification of repetitive tasks, and the world’s information at our fingertips. The economy has changed course and we have been introduced to new services that we have grown to love such as Amazon Prime Now, Uber Eats, and Instacart. And as consumers and organizations continue to demand services from these platforms, the rate at which we’ll see these services being used will continue to rise at a robust pace. It’s imperative that our technology adapts to this new way of life, which is why third-party apps are increasing work on stronger APIs in order to create more opportunities for work and collaboration in an ever-changing world and more importantly, to produce technology that can keep up with this bustling economy. To learn more about how your company can win in the next generation of the gig economy, visit unikey.com.