Abloy UK - Experts & Thought Leaders

Powering digital access with energy-harvesting technology frees organisations from wiring and even batteries. However, to meet the challenges of the future, digital access needs more. It needs technologies and software platforms flexible enough to grow and adapt with the evolving needs of each organisation, protecting their investment in digital access while delivering an ROI every day. Digital access solutions Kinetic energy generated by inserting the intelligent key is harvested to power the lock’s security features  Using decades of expertise in designing and engineering key-based access cylinders and solutions, ASSA ABLOY developed PULSE, key-based digital access powered by innovative energy-harvesting technology and part of ASSA ABLOY's suite of digital access solutions. With ABLOY PULSE, the kinetic energy generated by inserting the intelligent key is harvested to power the lock’s encrypted digital security. This energy source – keyholder input – is completely renewable and contributes to building sustainability goals. Latest generation of technology Building users enjoy everyday convenience. They carry one PULSE key pre-programmed with all their access rights. It has an RFID tag inside and can also operate readers, whether on wireless locks or wall-mounted beside an electrified opening. Building users do not need to carry two credentials.  To enhance site security and user privacy, PULSE credentials are powered by Seos®, the latest generation of technology with the highest encryption and authentication standards. ABLOY PULSE building managers PULSE locking cylinders and keys are self-powered by reliable energy-harvesting technology ABLOY PULSE offers building managers reliable security they can trust. They can equip almost any opening with a device range which includes door cylinders, cam-locks, furniture locks and padlocks for indoor and outdoor use. There is no cabling, wiring or batteries required: PULSE locking cylinders and keys are self-powered by reliable energy-harvesting technology. Integrate with building solutions “ABLOY PULSE offers customers a flexible solution to digitalise their access management and make their access ready for what’s ahead. It has been developed to integrate easily with their building solutions,” says Jarno Onnela, PULSE Product Manager at ABLOY. “PULSE cylinders are fast and cost-efficient to install, because they require no major adjustments to a door. An installer simply swaps out an existing mechanical cylinder.” ASSA ABLOY Access® software ABLOY PULSE can be managed from cloud-based ASSA ABLOY Access® software ABLOY PULSE can be managed from cloud-based ASSA ABLOY Access® software. This intuitive solution enables organisations to manage access from anywhere. Both keys and cylinders are reusable and reprogrammable: managing staff turnover becomes faster and simpler for facilities teams. Security staff can issue access and block lost keys from wherever they are. Advantages of PULSE technology The unique advantages of PULSE technology have already been recognised by awards juries in Europe, the Middle East and beyond. It was named the Sustainability Champion Award winner at Intersec 2024, Dubai. In 2022, PULSE cylinders’ energy-harvesting performance earned the Construction Energy Award at the BYGGERI fair in Denmark. ABLOY PULSE commercial buildings The unique advantages of PULSE technology have already been recognised by awards juries in Europe “ABLOY PULSE already protects many different types of site, from commercial buildings and multi-residential housing, to education and healthcare premises,” adds Jarno. “New functionalities in ASSA ABLOY Access management software, such as support for reservation systems, continue to further expand use-cases. We have also extended the availability of this innovative solution to new markets including Scandinavia, France, the UK, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong and Benelux countries.”  Extend the range of locking solutions with ASSA ABLOY Access ASSA ABLOY Access also integrates seamlessly with the ABLOY CUMULUS mobile and keyless access solution. Completely customisable, with intuitive APIs and SDKs for app development, CUMULUS becomes part of each customer’s individual workflows in a way specific to their own organisation. In addition, the revolutionary CUMULUS Controller adds mobile access capability to any electric or electronic lock – from any brand. ABLOY CUMULUS instantly makes digital access mobile-ready. It can go wherever the customer needs.

ASSA ABLOY’s innovative new mobile access solution has won yet another prestigious industry award. At October’s Detektor International Awards, ABLOY CUMULUS received the 2024 prize for Innovative Achievement in IoT & Security.  Secure mobile unlocking Chosen from among hundreds of products reviewed over the year by Detektor experts, ABLOY CUMULUS "streamlines access management with encrypted mobile credentials, eliminating key management hassles. Its robust, customisable devices offer secure mobile unlocking across various locks, making it a standout in security innovation," according to the award jury panel composed of independent experts.  ABLOY CUMULUS With ABLOY CUMULUS, tailored access authorisations are issued and amended quickly and conveniently ABLOY CUMULUS is a keyless access solution and part of ASSA ABLOY’s Digital Access Solutions suite. With ABLOY CUMULUS, tailored access authorisations are issued and amended quickly and conveniently directly on a user’s smartphone. Their personalised, encrypted mobile credential unlocks any authorised ABLOY CUMULUS-enabled locking device, wherever it is located.   Innovative management for mobile access The ABLOY CUMULUS device range offers a range of keyless access solutions. In addition, a revolutionary CUMULUS Controller brings mobile unlocking via Bluetooth to any electric or electronic lock – from any brand.  "It’s a genuine honour to receive such a prestigious award, ahead of competition from so many global manufacturers," says Hanna Sillanpää, Head of ABLOY Digital Solutions at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA.  API-first solution Hanna Sillanpää adds, "The innovative approach we took with ABLOY CUMULUS, building it API-first to simplify integration with access management, booking or workflow software solutions, and more, is completely different to the typical method of developing in access and security." She continues, "Combined with SDKs and our portfolio of locking devices, this enables CUMULUS to become part of our customer’s most important business processes. This solution can help save time and boost organisational efficiency.”  Completely customisable A CUMULUS system may be administered with ASSA ABLOY Access, an intuitive, cloud-based solution ABLOY CUMULUS is completely customisable: with APIs and SDKs for smartphone app development, the solution becomes part of each customer’s individual needs in a way specific to their organisation. A CUMULUS system may also be administered with ASSA ABLOY Access, an intuitive, cloud-based solution that enables organisations to deploy keyless access in combination with ABLOY PULSE intelligent key-based locking.  Applications and certifications ABLOY CUMULUS extends the potential reach of mobile access beyond traditional applications, such as offices. Native ABLOY CUMULUS devices are certified for outdoor use in the harshest climates. The range includes a battery-powered padlock; a key deposit with IP66/68 and IK10 certifications; and a robust swing handle that brings mobile access to outdoor cabinets.  Works in remote locations This solution gives new organisations access to the wide-ranging security and convenience benefits Because the solution requires no continuous network coverage – for either locking device or smartphone – it operates in demanding or remote locations. This gives new organisations access to the wide-ranging security and convenience benefits of a mobile solution. For many such customers, until recently, only key-based digital access or mechanical solutions have been suitable.  Detektor International Award The Detektor International Award was presented at a ceremony during October’s SKYDD security technology event in Stockholm, Sweden.  ABLOY CUMULUS has already been recognised at the 2024 ISJ Leaders in Security Awards and was named Security Innovation of the Year at the UK’s Fire & Security Matters Awards 2024.

ABLOY rose to the top of the list as Finland’s most valued brand of 2024, according to an annual survey by pollster Taloustutkimus. Market research company - Taloustutkimus surveys Finnish consumers’ opinions on brands every year. In 2024, ABLOY was ranked the most valued brand in Finland. "It is an honour to influence how the ABLOY brand sounds, looks, and feels like. Our brand is well known in Finland and around the world," says Johanna Varis, Abloy Oy's Head of Marketing and Segment Development. Evolving a beloved brand Johanna Varis adds, "Brand building is systematic and requires active listening to customers. We have been granted the opportunity to impact the daily lives of Finns at home, at work, and during their free time." "Earning the trust of Finns also indicates how our brand is valued and trusted outside of Finland," says Varis. Digital and mechanical locks The iconic ABLOY logo has only been renewed five times during nearly 120 years of operations ABLOY is a pioneer in the security field and in developing new digital and mechanical locking products. Changing the brand’s image is carefully considered: for example, the iconic ABLOY logo has only been renewed five times during nearly 120 years of operations. Johanna Varis adds, "Every person behind ABLOY values the brand. We all play a part in building a success story and a better future for everyone." The survey includes nearly 700 brands 2024's top five most respected brands are ABLOY, The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Hyvää Suomesta - label (Produce of Finland), S-Etukortti, and The Key Flag. ABLOY previously topped the list back in 2018. In the study, consumers ranked 686 different brands based on how much they value that particular brand. The survey also asked, for example, how likely consumers would be to recommend the brand.

At this year's IFSEC 2013, ASSA ABLOY willoffer a complete range of door solutions focusing on the slogan "Access Your World" In a wide-ranging interview with SourceSecurity.com, Chris Bone, VP Access Control, ASSA ABLOY EMEA, discussed ASSA ABLOY’s product roadmap and outlook on technology trends in access control. Besides shedding light on the main product lines that it will be showcasing at IFSEC 2013, including the Seos ecosystem and Aperio range, he indicated that digital keys are likely to witness an uptake by next year with greater availability of NFC-enabled mobile phones. He also mentioned that the company will have greater focus on escape route management in access control. At this year's IFSEC 2013 show, ASSA ABLOY, the world's leading lock group, is preparing to offer a complete range of door opening solutions focused on the needs of its customers adopting the slogan "Access Your World". Keen to retain its position in areas such as access control, identification technology, entrance automation and hotel security, it will be showcasing forward thinking solutions from leading brands HID Global, ABLOY, Yale, Mul-T-Lock, Traka and effeff in an exhibit area double the size of its previous stand. Chris Bone said: “We continue to expand the technology that we can apply to a number of applications and the depth of the product range for the different mechanical applications." In the interview, Chris highlighted a number of specific products to be showcased at IFSEC 2013 which he feels will draw much attention from visitors at the show. One of these was ASSA ABLOY's Seos ecosystem. With NFC (near-field communication) being one of the hottest topics within access control, the award winning Seos™ ecosystem of interoperable products and services for issuing, delivering and revoking digital keys on NFC mobile devices so that they can be used to open doors in a number of applications, stands out amongst all the NFC solutions currently on the market. Uptake of digital keys over mechanical ones with more NFC-enabled phonesAs the NFC topic continues to gain momentum, SourceSecurity.com asked Chris when there was likely to be a large uptake of digital keys over mechanical ones. He said that there were two key factors which would be driving this. Firstly, there needed to be an increase in the availability of NFC -enabled mobile phones in use and secondly, people would need to change their mindset on buying virtual keys, in the same way that people adapted to buying MP3 instead of physical CDs. Potentially, he said that we could see a shift beginning to take place in the second half of 2014.Growth of Aperio technology: wireless integration into access control systemsAnother key product which Chris mentioned was of course ASSA ABLOY's long standing Aperio product range. Since its inception there has been rapid growth within the product family. In 2011, ASSA ABLOY added 6 products to the offering; in 2012 22 products were added and so far this year it has added 4 products to the offering. As a smart wireless technology that enables mechanical locks to be wirelessly linked to a new or existing access control system, Aperio now allows a wide range of access control providers to cost-effectively integrate non-wired doors with mechanical locks into access control systems. One of the new products within the range which Chris was most excited about is the Aperio™ L100 Lock. This sophisticated solution, the latest in wireless access control technology for security doors, provides a highly cost effective, straightforward alternative to a wired high-end solution as no cabling or alterations to the doors are required during installation. Residential solutions from Yale on showFor the first time at IFSEC, ASSA ABLOY will also be showcasing residential solutions from Yale, the leading global residential mechanical locking business. Chris Bone said: "We will have our digital door locking range (DDL) featured at IFSEC this year which is like Aperio for residential applications. The range has provided huge growth for us in the UK, Scandinavia, the Americas and many other countries. So, the future of using mechanical keys at home is certainly in question as that gets a lot of market take up." Also on the stand will be Traka Touch - a standalone key management solution that operates independently of a company’s IT system via an embedded Windows software and SQL Server database. No server is required to maintain its database. HID will be showcasing its award-winning iCLASS SEO platform for mobile access and highlighting its broad portfolio of physical access control, secure issuance and card personalisation solutions.Product development roadmapBeyond the IFSEC 2013 show, Chris gave a view on what ASSA ABLOY's product roadmap for the next 12 months would look like, with a particular focus on the expansion of the Aperio range: "We will continue to expand the mechanical depth of the product range to take those technologies and apply them to different mechanical locking solutions. We started off with a cylinder and an escutcheon now, we have a mortise lock and in development we have lots of other mechanical devices which will have Aperio technology embedded in them.The primary focus over the next twelve months is to continue to expand the range because when a customer moves away from mechanical keys, he does not just want to do it for his office doors, he wants to do it for his cabinets, lockers, IT racks and whatever the mechanical locking problem that he might have. We will continue to do this and increase technology breath with additional RFID technology and improved battery life functionality and things like that."New focus on escape route management in access controlHe also noted that over the coming year, particularly in Europe, there would be a renewed level of importance in escape route management. "What used to be an ignored area of the building, where it had a mechanical crash bar and virtually no monitoring or controlling, with the EN standards which are being ratified at the moment, this is going to change completely. It will become very important for access control security systems integrators to provide a fully compliant, controlled and monitored escape route system. At the IFSEC show we will be highlighting a new solution for that as well. I think it is really important because it will bring not only additional monitoring but additional security to escape routes which is not there at the moment." "IFSEC is not about the UK anymore; we see IFSEC as a truly global show, and the international visitor counthighlights that. A major strategy for us is to grow our global presence especially in the emerging countries" IFSEC investment in line with ASSA ABLOY global growth strategy   When asked about his thoughts on IFSEC, Chris said: "IFSEC is not about the UK anymore; we see IFSEC as a truly global show, and the international visitor count highlights that.   A major strategy for us is to grow our global presence especially in the emerging countries. We expect to see a lot of visitors at IFSEC from emerging or emerged, as they sometimes are, global countries to show our products as well."IFSEC 2014 move to LondonAs IFSEC will be changing locations and adopting a 3-day format, we asked Chris for his take on it: "I think time will tell. I do think it makes a lot of sense. There are a huge number of decision makers based in the Southeast, I think you will get a lot more end users and security consultants attending and there will be more international visitors attending. From that perspective it is probably a good move. From the more traditional side, the NEC has always been a good location as it is so central in the UK but I think it is well worth exploring what we can do from a London base.”