The smart residence starts at the front door. Smart door locks, smart access control systems, networked cameras, video doorbells, smart garage door openers, parking access solutions, and other IoT devices represent a new generation of access control and monitoring solutions.

Smart door lock adoption continues to be driven by strong multichannel sales efforts and continual product innovation. The majority of residential door locks installed in the US are mechanical, but an increasing number of exterior locks in single-family homes are being replaced with smart door locks. Across single-family, multi-family, retail, and commercial spaces, builders, and owners are adopting connected entry solutions to create more secure and functional spaces.

Smart door locks and associated whole-building access control systems have fueled the recent acceleration in smart apartment adoption while several major production builders now include them in standard specifications. Feature innovations, such as biometric verification, integrated video cameras, voice control via smart speakers, and integration with home delivery services, help to raise awareness and value perceptions of smart door locks. That increased awareness triggers sales in retail, security, home builder, and system integrator channels 

• As of Q4 2021, 11% of US internet households, or over 12 million households, owned a smart door lock, nearly double the adoption rate five years prior.
• Purchase intentions are also on the rise. In Q4 2021, 29% of US broadband households reported an intention to purchase a smart door lock in the next six months, up from just 21% in 2018.
• 15% of MDU owner/operators report having a secure access system for property common areas that include IoT devices that they can access and control remotely; a similar percentage have connected access solutions for individual units as well.

Expanding Value

Safety and security remain the leading purchase drivers of smart home devices. Smart door locks and smart access control systems provide a foundation of security by helping consumers and building owners/operators monitor and secure the primary access points.

A Future of Services

In addition to these secure entry capabilities, smart door locks and smart access control systems also double as points of access for a future world of services. Companies are vying for control of access points into homes and buildings that enable service opportunities such as in-home, in-unit, and in-garage delivery, health and wellness solutions, cleaning and pet care services, home and unit rental solutions, and much more.

Alignments and partnerships are also helping expand the market beyond safety and security use cases.

• Door lock manufacturers have established integrations with Airbnb and HomeAway reservation systems to enable home hosts to grant access to guests.
• OEMs are working with real estate developers (single-family and multifamily) to include smart access solutions as a standard part of smart home packages and home control platforms.
• Parcel delivery services are integrating smart door locks and cameras to offer secure package delivery.

Multi-Dwelling Units

MDU (multi-dwelling unit) owners/operators value smart access control for security, convenience, and OPEX savings. Properties want to grant access to units remotely for unaccompanied viewing, assist with package delivery, control who had access to units, and make key replacement more efficient.

• 73% of MDU properties with smart door locks use the devices to grant access to units remotely for unaccompanied viewings, package delivery, or third-party services.
• 65% use the locks to track who enters and leaves the property using temporary, unique access codes.
• About three out of four MDU property managers find the ability of smart door locks to minimize key replacement costs “very appealing.”
• One-third of MDU property managers report that their residents are demanding the ability to enable remote access to apartment units.

Typical use cases for smart door lock and access control systems:

• Grant entrance access remotely
• Receive electronic notifications of who is entering and leaving in real-time
• Assign permanent and temporary virtual key with access schedules for specific days and times
• Change or revoke access privileges at any time
• Trigger tamper and forced entry alarms that warn of a possible break-in

This is an excerpt from Parks Associates white paper, Smart Locks and Access Control Supply Chain: Scaling Innovation in partnership with PassiveBolt. The simultaneous improvement of computing, sensing, and networking technologies is transforming products and services across industries. Manufacturers, including those in the smart door lock and smart access control markets, are undergoing organizational transformation to deliver on the promises—and requirements—of making and supporting connected solutions.

As connectivity becomes a de facto requirement to stay competitive, value creation moves to new sets of features and applications. Manufacturers must engage in constant innovation and explore new strategies to take products to market quickly.

At the same time, the smart door lock market is saturated with new players entering the market. These new players, as well as established market leaders, are all investing in the knowledge, staffing, and capabilities to keep up with the rapid pace of change. These efforts are costly and challenging. Read White Paper

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