Access Control in 2018

By Ken Geiszler, CEO, Keri Systems As we put 2017 in the rearview mirror, we at Keri are pleased to present you with a window into 2018. Obviously, we never want to spend too much time with our minds in the past, but it is never wise to forget it completely. As William Shakespeare said, “what’s past is prologue” or if you prefer, “those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” Integration, Partnerships, and Products 2017 saw a plethora of consolidations within the industry and some major divestitures. The industry was dominated once again by the degradation of margins in the Video market, as it has fought to compete with the foreign manufacturers in a death-spiral, race to zero. The domestic industry has found it difficult to wage war against competitors that operate on a very low cost-of-engineering basis, and who seem to possess virtually limitless resources for various reasons. Looking for margin outside of the video industry has caused a number of players to enter other markets such as IP Intercom and Access Control, Intrusion and other life safety markets. Keri Systems has been ever vigilant to not lose sight of what has happened in years past. We have kept an eye on trends and spent innumerable hours of deliberation on how we should approach the future. As a company, we have adjusted our manpower allocation, our product direction, our engineering resources, and our vision of “Keri in the future.” This constant self-diagnosis has evolved into a comprehensive plan for 2018 that has several facets. The keystones of that plan are: Integration, Partnerships, and Products. Integration and System Capabilities Keri now integrates with 11 hardware platforms, and as a company is capable of providing an entire ecosystem of integrated protection to any facility. Under a single software platform, Keri is able to manage: Access Control, Video, Telephone Entry, Dynamic Mapping and Graphics, Pedestrian Turnstiles, Elevator Control, Biometrics, Wireless Lock Technologies, and Intercom. Enterprise installations are now capable of controlling entire municipalities, with multi-facility lock-down, notification, and active shooter management. In short, there is little to nothing in the integrated access control arena that can’t be managed by a Keri installation. Our largest system to date now runs over 13K portals of various types, while our largest hybrid system of wired and wireless locking products is quickly approaching 2K doors under control. Access Control Partnerships If we learned nothing else in 2017, we at Keri learned the value of partnerships in this industry. Unlike the aforementioned goliaths, mid-sized companies in our sphere need to work together, allowing each company to develop products they are most proficient in. The wisest of these companies will pay close attention to what is being developed around them, and extend a hand to industry partners. To this end, Keri has invested an enormous amount of time and effort into building a strong, working relationship with Allegion, and now is able to provide a comprehensive head-end solution to every lock Allegion builds. Additionally, Keri has integrated with Comelit to provide an integrated solution to their fine door entry and video intercom units. Look for 2018 to close the gap between these products, as these three major players will undertake a series of localized trade shows or expositions to highlight the capabilities of a partnered solution. In addition to Allegion and Comelit, Keri has highly functional integrations with Milestone’s XProtect Video Management System and Savance’s Visitor Management System/Software. Finally, let’s not forget the fact that Keri now has an exclusive agreement with the LOT Group to distribute their exceptional line of luxury turnstiles in North America. In short, Keri has all the bases covered. In numbers and in partners, Keri expects to grow exponentially going forward. Access Control Products This past year reflected interest in the Video Doorbell Industry go “through the roof!” Keri was early to answer this call with our Entraguard ONE and Entraguard ONE+. These are an improved variant over the original concept, with the added ability to remotely unlock a door. They are sturdily built of aluminum and suitable for light commercial use, as opposed to the flimsy, competitive products that only serve to announce a visitor and not unlock the door. In 2018, Keri will add to this line several smaller, sleeker and exceptionally attractive units. Look to Keri to exploit the benefits of the Cloud with products that configure easily and require no local software or computing hardware. These systems will be deployable with low cost, easily installed field components that will revolutionize the way Access Control is implemented. You can expect to see a new series of Contactless Smart Card Readers, and the release of a new, simple access control product that is easily programmable, using an app and Bluetooth connection to a mobile device. Keri System's Commitment To be sure, Keri has not lost sight of 2017, nor have we failed to look around us to see who we can partner with. With what we have learned in the past year, and what we have put together for the coming year, Keri is supremely poised to be your one-stop-shop for all things Access and all things Security. Success is rarely an accident in this industry. It’s very hard to “get lucky!” Technology moves fast and furious, and because of that fact, the most adaptable will survive and prosper. Keri Systems is committed to staying on the leading edge of technology while providing an attractive platform with which partners can integrate. We remain light on our feet and vigilant of the future, with a critical eye on the recent past. I will end by wishing all who read this a happy and prosperous new year. I wish you all the success- and yes, luck, that your hard work can yield. I hope to hear from each of you through our various dealer and distributor networks, and look forward to serving all your security needs, both in 2018 and in the years to come. We value your patronage beyond words, and will work tirelessly to constantly exceed your expectations.

For more information on Access Control in 2018 talk to Keri Systems UK Limited