Moving beyond access control: a glimpse of the future In this article, SourceSecurity.com speaks to newly appointed MD of HID Global, EMEA, Anthony Ball, about trends and developments in the access control industry. SourceSecurity.com: What are the key factors influencing the security industry, and particularly access control, in the near and medium term? Anthony Ball: I believe security will need to be more ‘customer-aware' than ‘technology-aware.' The development of products will need to be very much end-user driven. Manufacturers will have to take care not to overcomplicate security. Security should be like buying a new computer today: you plug it in, press start and it works. Security must become more intuitive to use. This will be key in the future. Also, looking at the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market, which has varying levels of development for each country across the region, I think a very country-focused approach will need to be applied - everyone's needs are different and we aim to adapt to these. SourceSecurity.com: How do you think the industry is evolving ‘beyond' access control?  Anthony Ball: Looking at the industry, it seems that systems are too isolated today. The future will be about integrating business needs and technologies. In this respect, HID Global has a homogenous approach, where we work towards a fully integrated solution for our customers. Data management needs to be seen as the management of information. With our HID Connect™ Partner Program, HID works with companies which together can offer one solution. Our aim is to make security and other aspects of business life as easy to integrate and use as possible.
With the trend toward an increasingly mobile workforce across Europe, HID invests heavily in the "one credential" solution. We understand the importance of carrying one credential and the ability to be verified in multiple locations. Today, there is a myriad of data available about different aspects of security, but we aim to understand this data and use it as information to gain knowledge and understanding of our customers' behavioural patterns and requirements. With HID Identity, we have taken a strong step toward ID management, offering the best and simplest solution for HID credential users. SourceSecurity.com: What impact does network / IP technology have upon the access control industry? Anthony Ball: Network / IP technology can have a great impact on the access control industry. This is the advent of the convergence of physical and logical access. It gives people the ability to manage and track security in a more convenient way. As outlined earlier, it is all about simplifying security solutions for the end-user. SourceSecurity.com: What role do access control and HID play in integrated security solutions?  Anthony Ball: HID Global, with its access control solutions, gives customers and end-users the ability to effect an easy transition between systems. HID has a longstanding reputation for quality and innovative products, providing users with confidence in its products. We are developing fully integrated security solutions to EU specification to meet our customer needs and to ensure that personal data is not only protected, but also managed.
SourceSecurity.com: What regions within EMEA do you envisage enjoying the most growth in coming years and why? Anthony Ball: EMEA is an engine for growth and all regions will enjoy growth. SourceSecurity.com: Do you anticipate further significant merger and acquisition activity with the access control industry? Do you think such consolidation benefits the industry? Anthony Ball: In the current global economic environment, mergers and acquisitions are a natural phenomenon, not just in our industry, but in many industries. HID is a very forward-thinking company that never stands still and always looks for the next opportunity. Anthony Ball is the Managing Director of HID Global, EMEA | 
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