ASG's Security Solutions Blog

Opening the Door to an Integrated World - An Interview with ASSA ABLOY

 

By Ron Worman, The Sage Group

In 1968 John Hunepohl was a certified locksmith. Since that time, his career follows the leading developments in the industry; from electronic access control to CCTV to biometrics.

Today John Hunepohl is the Director of Education for ASSA ABLOY's Door Security Solutions, overseeing the education, training, and certification programs for the company and the company's customers."

ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions in the Americas Division has developed two training programs aimed at giving its channel partners the knowledge to work with the latest innovations, including those that bridge the gap between mechanical and electromechanical technologies.

"From deciding how to sell the latest innovations to learning how to install them, the Authorized Channel Partner (ACP) and the Certified Integrator (CI) programs give our partners (whether they are wholesalers, distributors and systems integrators) accreditation to work with advanced technologies," says John Hunepohl, director of education at Door Security Solutions.

In the spirit of the ASG Security Summit's Great Conversation, John was asked to tell us about the next generation door in terms we could use to bridge the technology we have today. The next thing I knew he was taking us for a metaphorical drive...in an automobile.

"When automobiles first arrived on the scene they had a very binary delivery system", said John. "They either started or they didn't. Then we were able to measure the level of gas we had, later the oil. Today we have innumerable metrics that range from the mechanical infrastructure to the environment."

According to John, the same type of condition has occurred with the door. We applied a lock on the door to either keep people in or out. But now there are a range of conditions that security and the building staff would like to measure. John named a few like:
"Is it locked? Is it closed? What about the inside handle? Was it pulled open or pushed open? Is the door required to secure a hazardous material? Does the Door comply with the disability act, i.e., can you measure the speed of the door closure? When an earthquake occurs, do we know if the door is misaligned, and therefore no longer performing as specified?"

To John, the security industry is catching up with the technology. "This is a strategy issue as well as a budget issue", said John. "Where is the value to pay extra for a door that has the ability to monitor one or more of these things?"

To John, the future is about interoperability. With IP addressable devices we have the opportunity to create highly valuable solutions that cross over between silos that exist today.
"Working with the latest innovations in online electronic access control can be a challenge", said John. "Training for channel partners and customers is the answer."

ASSA ABLOY will be providing a preview of the future to attendees of the ASG Security Summit and Expo on March 9. You can also visit their online booth inside the Virtual Exhibit Hall and download their valuable information on this and other security solutions.