It’s interesting when you look at the landscape of the home security industry, and how it has changed over the years.

Companies like ours that have been operating in this space for a while understand a lot of these changes and why they happened. We’re used to having these conversations with other industry groups at tradeshows and conferences, or elsewhere, and thinking about what these trends mean for the future.

Here are some ways that customers have begun to think about home security differently in the past few years.

Keyless Systems

You hardly see a lot of people running around with big keychains anymore! New kinds of systems have made the old key entry practically obsolete. But keyless systems really aren’t that old. We saw them become common on cars within the last decade or so. Now we’re seeing them applied to buildings, as well, with some pretty great efficiencies for those who have to manage multi-unit access. 

It’s not just biometrics – there are multiple modes for replacing keyed entries.

For example, there’s the combination lock, that’s very simple to use, and easy to change. You don’t need any biometric data, but you can still allow targeted access for individuals based on whether they have the code or not.

Ultimately, you also can get a biometric type of lock that uses someone’s fingerprint or something like that to allow entry.

Both of these are useful in modern home security, and both have become more commonplace than they were a few years ago. 

Smart Home Systems

There’s much more of an emphasis these days on smart home systems – things that you can control from your smartphone, or otherwise manage remotely – applications with automation at the helm. 

There is more of a digital design for many of the security products and services that we sell.

So that’s another big trend, too. Obviously, everything is getting computerized, but our industry is not immune from this kind of change. In fact, it’s one of the most disrupted industries. 

Surveillance

Traditional lock and key systems were focused, in a primary sense, on keeping people out.

Many of the new modern home systems, on the other hand, are based more on seeing what’s happening around your property. Systems with multiple cameras are a good example. So are the new video doorbells where you don’t just restrict access, but you basically set up sophisticated surveillance of your front door.

That way, you can see what’s happening, even when you’re not home. This leads to a prevailing feeling of security and safety. 

Emphasis on Personal Safety

In the old days, many lock and key systems were, again, focused on protecting physical items, whether they were held in a safe, or kept in a locked building.

Fewer and fewer people are keeping cash under mattresses, and there’s less of a focus on protecting personal effects. The above points on surveillance shows how this works.

Anyway, that’s a little bit about the industry today! Turn to Safeguard Home Security for state of the art systems you can rely on.