The post-recession access control market has inspired new trends, while others have slowed. As Asia continues its quest for the latest technology, and smart card adoption continues to grow in EMEA, the Americas has emerged as the forerunner for SaaS and web-based access control systems. According to the latest statistics from IMS Research, the global access control market is forecast to reach over $1.8 billion in 2010.

Report author and market analyst Blake Kozak comments, "Future trends in access control are centered on the ideas of flexibility, scalability and integration. Software-as-a-Service, web based access control and electronic cylinder locks will certainly be at the forefront as the market emerges from the recession."
Kozak continues, "Integration is an exhausted topic and one that has been thrown around for a number of years. While the idea of integrating logical and physical access control is finally a reality, most notably in the healthcare sector to protect patient records, the true trends gaining traction in the market are SaaS, web-based systems and electronic cylinders, all of which utilize the capability of an IP infrastructure".

Web based access control can be connected to the Internet for remote configuration or through an intranet for standalone access control. In an attempt to make access control easier and more affordable for smaller businesses, the market continues to see an influx of SaaS and web-based access control systems. Both approaches share similarities in that they are both scalable and can reduce or eliminate costs associated with PC-based systems. However, web-based access control systems use either PC-based software or embedded web servers in panels while with SaaS, everything is configured, updated and managed via the "Cloud" and updates are automatic and not controlled by the user.

Kozak continues, "Web-based access control systems will continue to gain market acceptance, particularly in the Americas where there is a preference towards "out-of-the-box" type solutions. In the long-term vendors offering flexible and adaptable solutions are likely to gain major traction as the market recovers and customers turn their attention to ROI (return-on-investment).